The Misfits

The Misfits is a young adult novel by bestselling American author James Howe. The first of four in The Misfits series, the novel chronicles a group of unpopular seventh graders’ participation in a contentious student council election. The series inspired No-Name Calling Week, a bullying-prevention initiative that has been held by schools across the country.

Plot Summary

The Misfits is told from the perspective of Bobby Godspeed, a seventh grader living in Paintbrush Falls, New York. Bobby lives with his dad and works part time as a tie salesman at a department store. Bobby has three best friends, Addie, Skeezie, and Joe. Together, they jokingly call themselves the Gang of Five. The Gang of Five are unpopular and are often bullied at school.

One day at school, Addie refuses to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance because she doesn’t believe everyone in the United States experiences liberty, justice, and freedom. The student council elections are coming up soon, and every student has the option to take part in the campaigns as members of either the Republican or the Democrat party. Addie, an Independent, decides to start her own political party, The Freedom Party.