Books › Don't Call Me Ishmael!
Don't Call Me Ishmael!
300 pages
A hilarious and heartfelt survival guide to the mortifying ordeal of being known in middle school.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like flipping through the diary of your most awkwardly endearing friend. It moves at a brisk, highly entertaining clip, propelled by a deeply self-deprecating narrative voice that captures the exact texture of middle school misery. The atmosphere is steeped in the familiar dread of cafeteria politics and classroom bullies, yet it remains consistently buoyant and warm thanks to its sharp humor. As the story unfolds, the mood shifts from cringing invisibility to a triumphant, fist-pumping celebration of weirdness and courage. The prose is conversational, snappy, and effortlessly funny, making the emotional beats land with surprising tenderness. It is a perfect fit for anyone who loves a classic underdog story where the ultimate victory is simply learning to take up space.
- Mood
- awkward
- warm
- lighthearted
- triumphant
- Tone
- self-deprecating
- wry
- earnest
- humorous
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- finding your voice · the power of eccentric friends · navigating middle school social hierarchies · overcoming social anxiety
- The writing
- Conversational and highly relatable, driven by sharp comedic timing and a deeply sympathetic first-person voice.
- The arc
- Moves from cringing, invisible anxiety to a messy, hilarious, and ultimately triumphant embrace of self-worth.
- Who it's for
- Readers who love rooting for the underdog and appreciate a healthy dose of cringe comedy mixed with genuine heart.
Content notes
- bullying
- name-calling
- mild middle school teasing
About the book
By the time ninth grade begins, Ishmael Leseur knows it won't be long before Barry Bagsley, the class bully, says, "Ishmael? What kind of wussy-crap name is that?" Ishmael's perfected the art of making himself virtually invisible. But all that changes when James Scobie joins the class. Unlike Ishmael, James has no sense of fear—he claims it was removed during an operation.Now nothing will stop James and Ishmael from taking on bullies, bugs, and Moby Dick, in the toughest, weirdest, most embarrassingly awful... and the best year of their lives.
Description from Open Library.
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