A Stupid Number of Awards for Geoff Herbach's Stupid Fast

• ALA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection
• YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

...

August 20th, 1:33 a.m. Bluffton, WIM

Hey, Aleah, I just thought I’d drop this in, because it’s sort of interesting to know what Andrew was thinking back in January, before he got messed up. From his blog at feltonreistein.com:

Felton is Number 2!

“Reinstein is the rarest of athletes, a freak of nature with great size and speed combined with crazy-quick animal reflexes. That Reinstein has played just one season of organized football should strike fear in the hearts of coming opponents and has already caused seismic recruiting efforts among collegiate programs across the nation.”—Wisconsin State Journal

You probably already know this, but Felton has been deemed the #2 sports story in the state of Wisconsin for the year (right behind the Green Bay Packers’ mid-season resurgence—I had no idea they had gone downhill ever—I pay no attention to professional athletics).

We had six State Journal newspapers jammed in our door, and Felton had approximately ten million voice mail messages from people wanting to congratulate him.

Did Felton celebrate this coverage? Not at all. He went running for about ten minutes. Then he came back because he kept falling down in the snow. (Snow hasn’t stopped him before, I promise you.) He watched TV for ten minutes and groaned about how he’d seen every COPS episode ever made. Then he went to bed. It’s not even dinnertime yet.

Jerri is concerned for him. I suppose he is feeling pressure. Why, though? He likes playing football. He just has to do what he likes. That is easy.

Jerri is making him some hamburgers for dinner. She’s a terrible cook. Maybe he’ll sleep through it? I won’t, unfortunately.

Happy New Year!

—Andrew

““With this book, Herbach brings to fruition the exploration he began in the first novel of how a parent’s suicide has a profound ripple effect on the lives of his family for years beyond the event. The combination of outrageous circumstances and humor expertly balances out the very serious issues of guilt, anger, and mental and emotional collapse. Felton’s voice is fresh and believable as a teen on the edge of manhood. Boys especially will discover kindred spirits in Felton and Andrew. Kudos to Herbach for this deep, moving, LOL funny, and completely original story.” - School Library Journal



“Felton and Andrew are both appealing . . . readers who like their funny stories mixed with sports will root for the siblings’ reconciliation.” - Booklist





“I haven’t read too many YA books told from a male perspective, and I have to say I was totally impressed with Felton’s voice. The tone is conversational and funny, and Felton is an authentic and endearing character...This is a great series that teen boys especially will love.” - The Reading Date