Fall Titles

I don't know where to begin (and wonder if I should begin at all) with this Publisher's Weekly ad. Curious, I went to the Simon & Schuster website, and found this: 

Poop is a normal kid, with normal problems— you know, parents, homework, bullies. He used to have a normal name, too. But then he moved to a new school, and everything went down the toilet. That’s the bad news. The good news: Turns out some names are special. Some names come with powers. Turns out those bullies really stepped in it.

SOMETIMES BEING A KID CAN REALLY STINK.

Will Poupé becomes the new target of bullies at his middle school. All day long, they call him Poop. However, when Icky the Janitor reveals himself to be a wizard in disguise, Will learns that there are Names of Power – if you are given one of these names, you gain certain abilities. Poop is one of those names. He now has powers that he could use to get back at the bullies! But power – even poop power – is exactly what can turn someone into a bully. With some help from his friends, Will must find a way to use his fantastic farting magic for good.

An original graphic novel.

Okay, I get it. Turning what's imposed on you into a super power. But as with any power comes negative consequences, potentially turning the avenger into an oppressor -- or in this case, a well-intentioned book into a loaded weapon. 

Poop is an allegory, but unlike the word it alludes to, its word is in general use and is accepted when describing a certain bodily function, whereas the allusive word has a hateful history and can only be used by those it is hurled at.

Would I give this book to a child, as a tool of antiracism? No. Would I give it to a child in an effort to help them understand why it might have the opposite effect? God no! (Talk about digging an even deeper hole!) Does Poop come with a teaching guide? I would hope so. And if so, that's the book I'd like to read.