Bookverdict.com

Gr 7–9—Eighth-grader Travis, tall and quiet, is beginning his first year in a new school. When he helps out a student being bullied, this rare act of middle-school kindness impresses an unusual, witty, and talkative girl named Vida—or Velveeta, as she prefers to be called. She befriends the strong-but-silent newcomer and tries to plumb his mysterious depths—and maybe grub a free dessert or two during lunch. Velveeta and Tr...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

"Stupid bluefish" Travis Roberts finds "lowlife trailer-trash loser" Vida "Velveeta" Wojciehowski in a lovely, understated book that celebrates the possibility of a kind and humane friendship between an eighth-grade girl and boy. Travis and Velveeta meet while both are hurting from losses in their lives: Travis's beloved dog has disappeared and his alcoholic grandfather has summarily moved them from their old house; Velveeta's friend and mentor Calvin, who introduced her to the ...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

Eighth-graders Travis and Vida ("Velveeta") are hurting from losses in their lives: Travis's beloved dog has disappeared and h...Log In or Sign Up to Read More

A rich and affecting exploration of life’s small tragedies. The characters face familiar troubles—including illiteracy, alcoholism, the loss of a loved one, and bullying—but have uncommon amounts of compassion and determination. Whether it’s Travis’s friend Velveeta, with her brash, chatterbox ways, or his grandfather’s gru...Log In or Sign Up to Read More