The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman

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The Shadow Club, Neal Shusterman, 2002

The Shadow Club takes bullying to the extreme.  In this book, Jared and his best friend/love interest Cheryl, both good kids and students, feel that they are second best to others in their school.  As much as they try to be the greatest, one other individual always outdoes them.  They discuss their resentment for those who keep them from the top, and share stories of the hurt that they would cause these individuals to blow off steam.  However, they decide to start a club named The Shadow Club, a club exclusive to those that are the second-best.  Jared and Cheryl invite five others to the club, including the second best swimmer, second smartest student, and the second best trumpet player.  They meet secretly and plan pranks on those who are better than them and treat them poorly for it.  But after they perform some harmless pranks on the “unbeatables,” other pranks begin to happen at the school that are much worse.  When people begin to get hurt, the school principal suspects the club of performing these terrible pranks.  The club, however, blames the pranks on a student who is the target of a great deal of bullying, who gets into many fights, and who they catch spying on a Shadow Club meeting.  As they try to get the student to confess, the once innocent students of The Shadow Club become incredible bullies themselves and learn something about what is defending yourself, and what it taking it too far.

I think that this book has teachable qualities in the sense that it encourages the fact that we cannot judge an individual if we do not know his or her past.  It also shows how bullying can get out of hand, and how we may not even recognize the fact that bullying is happening.  The vocabulary in the book was not difficult, and it was very easy to read.  The mystery feel of the book would keep students intrigued and wanting to keep reading.  This book was recommended by my cooperating teacher, who said that her sixth grade class was more engaged in this book than any of the others they have read this year.  I think that this book could be read in any middle school grade, but the vocabulary and ease of reading might make it more appropriate for younger students.