James Howe is the author of more than ninety books for young readers. Bunnicula, coauthored by his late wife Deborah and published in 1979, is considered a modern classic of children’s literature. The author has written six highly popular sequels, along with the spinoff series Tales from the House of Bunnicula and Bunnicula and Friends. Among his other books are picture books such as Horace and Morris but Mostly Dolores and beginning reader series that include the Pinky and Rex and Houndsley and Catina books. He has also written for older readers. The Misfits, published in 2001, inspired the nationwide antibullying initiative No Name-Calling Week, as well as three sequels, Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis. A common theme in James Howe’s books from preschool through teens is the acceptance of difference and being true to oneself. Visit him online at JamesHowe.com.
“The Misfits by James Howe was a bestseller about a group of best friends that inspired a national No Name-Calling Week in schools and was followed by three acclaimed sequels: Totally Joe, Addie on the Inside, and Also Known as Elvis. The whole series is a smart, honest portrayal of all the ups and downs of middle school and growing up in a small, working-class town, by an author who’s a perennial favorite across age ranges—and we think these books deserve an eye-catching new look, twenty years after the original publication.”
—Sophia J., Associate Editor, on The Complete Misfits Collection
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“Each of the books has a distinct voice, reflecting the individual protagonist’s personality, yet they fit together perfectly, just like the friends themselves."
– Booklist on ALSO KNOWN AS ELVIS (and the whole Misfits series)
“A knockout.”
– San Francisco Chronicle on THE MISFITS
* “A fast, funny, tender story that will touch readers.”
– School Library Journal on THE MISFITS, starred review
“A timely, sensitive, laugh-out-loud must-read.”
– VOYA on THE MISFITS
*"The welcome return of the Gang of Five (though there are really only four) introduced in The Misfits. . . . This narrator is anything but an average Joe: he’s candid, memorable and—though he might find this hard to believe—totally charismatic.”
– Publishers Weekly on TOTALLY JOE, starred review
*"Howe has created a character that lives and breathes. . . . [There's] a sense of spending extra time with a favorite friend."
– Kirkus Reviews on TOTALLY JOE, starred review
*"Howe completely captures what it is like to be a 13-year-old girl–the ups and downs, the emotional tightrope, the push/pull between childhood and growing up, and the power of gossip and school cliques."
– School Library Journal on ADDIE ON THE INSIDE, starred review
*"Howe's artfully crafted lines show Addie's intelligence and wit. . . . Readers will empathize with Addie's anguish and admire her courage to keep fighting."
– Publishers Weekly on ADDIE ON THE INSIDE, starred review
"Skeezie’s story shares the series’ strengths. With its companions, it's a powerful affirmation of friendship, compassion and the right to be accepted for who we are."
– Kirkus Reviews on ALSO KNOWN AS ELVIS
"[A] thoughtful conclusion to the Misfits series . . . Howe shows uncanny understanding of adolescent concerns and vulnerabilities, painting a realistically complicated portrait of a boy's coming of age."
– Publishers Weekly on ALSO KNOWN AS ELVIS
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