A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius

by Stacey Matson

Overview

Gordon Korman meets Word Nerd in this totally (and completely) genius debut!

Arthur Bean, soon-to-be a rich and famous author, has set two goals for himself: to win the school writing contest and to win the heart of his secret crush, Kennedy. But his life has had some major twists and turns lately, and the recent loss of his mother definitely complicates things.

Arthur is in turns outrageous, defiant, and unintentionally hilarious as we peek over his shoulder at his reading journals, notes from his long-suffering teachers, his offbeat articles for the school newspaper — even the emails he sends to writing partner Kennedy. A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius is a fresh and funny story about a boy whose bad luck can't dampen his spirit — or his love of writing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781443128681
Publisher:	Scholastic Canada Ltd
Publication date:	09/01/2014
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
Lexile:	810L (what's this?)
File size:	4 MB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Stacey Matson has worked in a theatre program on Parliament Hill and written theatre pieces for the Glenbow Museum and for the All-Nations Theatre in Calgary. She recently completed her Master of Arts in Children's Literature at the University of British Columbia. This is her first novel in a planned trilogy. Stacey lives in Vancouver, BC.

Read an Excerpt

From A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius:

Assignment: Famous Author Biography

Today we start the next unit on Famous Authors. We'll be studying the lives of some of the great poets and novelists of yore. I would like each of you to write two to four paragraphs about your favourite author. Please talk about his or her life and career. Are you inspired by their life story or something they wrote? Why is he/she your favourite author? Do you have a favourite book by them? Make sure your grammar and spelling are correct and that you use different types of sentences.

Due: March 24There will be no extensions given on this assignment.

My Favourite Author
By Arthur Bean

Arthur Bean was born in a hospital in Winnipeg, Manitoba. His parents, Ernest and Margaret Bean, were ecstatic and proclaimed his talents early. Moving to Calgary when Arthur was only two years old, Arthur quickly became a fixture in the literary scene. He was reading chapter books before his seventh birthday, and decided to be an author quickly thereafter. His first poem, called "Rain," was published in the school newsletter in grade five, setting his career into motion.

After "Rain," Arthur's stories took on a more serious tone. The playful nature of his first poem was subtly mocked in his first short story called "Lightning Storms over Disneyland." He began developing his characters in more realistic ways in his story "Sockland," a break-through story that got highly positive reviews from Mrs. Lewis, a highly regarded grade six teacher.

Arthur's writing career was put on hiatus after Marg Bean died last year. She was his muse, and greatest fan. But he has come back full force this year with a strong manuscript in the city-wide writing competition. He expects to win $200, his first prize in what promises to be a very long writing career. He is also an amateur actor and investigative journalist. Arthur's career means a lot to me because it is mine. I think that he captures what I am feeling and thinking in what he writes, and he is very clever.

Mr. Bean,

This is an unacceptable interpretation of this assignment. This kind of snide mocking of the school system is juvenile, unoriginal and rude. I expect you to take home this letter to your parents and return it with a signature tomorrow.

Mrs. Carrell

Editorial Reviews

Praise for A Year in the Life of a Total and Complete Genius:

"At once funny, outrageous, thoughtful, and informative, this is a story with something for everyone, and Arthur's is a voice readers won't soon forget." -CM: Canadian Review of Materials

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