The Sloppy Copy Slipup

Brian Higman—called Big Hig by his friends—is about to be in big trouble.

It's Monday morning, and his teacher Miss Fromme is about to collect homework. . .  and Brian didn't do his. There's a big red zero heading his way, and he knows his parents are going to explode when they hear about it.

But Big Hig has a good reason for having forgotten his "sloppy copy" first draft, involving his impossible five-year-old brother, a rock band practice at his house, and the mysterious disappearance of his entire life savings right when he needed it most.  It's a long, crazy story—but will it be enough to convince a teacher so stern they call her The General to give him another chance?

A perfect read for students who never know what to write about in school, The Sloppy Copy Slipup includes Big Hig's writing tips. 


Named to the Sunshine State Young Readers Award Master List and the Garden State Children's Book Award Master List!

A Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year "Full of nuclear family hijinks, this first-person narrative multitasks as a great slice of life from a funny nine-year-old boy, encouragement for reluctant writers and instruction on how to write an interesting and satisfying story."—Kirkus Reviews
 
"The plot is clever and original . . . Humorous black-and-white drawings appear throughout."—School Library JournalDyAnne DiSalvo plays rhythm guitar in the rock bank Smash Palace when she is not writing or illustrating children's books or working with kids. She got the idea for this book while teaching writing workshops in schools. Although this is her first novel, she has created many popular picture books, including A Dog Like Jack, winner of the Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, and Spaghetti Park. She lives in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Her website is www.dyannedisalvo.com.