The Schwa Was Here
Encyclopedia
The Schwa Was Here is a young adult
novel
by Neal Shusterman
. Published by Penguin Books
and Dutton Books in 2004. It is about an eighth-grader's friendship with another student named Calvin Schwa, who is capable of seemingly not being noticed by the people around him.
The book received critical acclaim upon its release, receiving a starred review from School Library Journal
and a positive review from Booklist
. It also received the 2005 Boston Globe/Horn Book Magazine
award for fiction and poetry.
The book has been optioned by The Disney Channel for a telefilm project. Shusterman, who previously worked with the channel on the project Pixel Perfect
, has been lined up to write the script for the project.
is the unstressed, neutral vowel sound "uh", as in the "o" like "carrot". The schwa is represented by the symbol ə, and is the most common vowel sound in the English language.
Calvin "the Schwa" Schwartz- The kid who is unnoticed by everyone. He blends with the environment. Antsy and his friends come to call this the "Schwa Effect". Calvin and Antsy put it to good use by placing bets and getting cash. He is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. By the end of the book, he is on the verge of insanity.
Lexis "Lexie" Crawley- Mr. Crawley's blind granddaughter. Antsy was assigned to watch after her. She becomes Antsy's girlfriend, but they break up because Calvin has feelings for her. She also often thinks about and worries for Calvin because she likes him as well as Antsy.
Ira Goldfarb- One of Antsy's best friends. He wants to go into movie making and is a great film maker. He doesn't like The Schwa and is creeped out by him. He is also jealous of Antsy's friendship with him.
Howie Bogerton- Another one of Antsy's best friends. He is very book smart, but not street smart. He doesn't really think outside the box, meaning he takes everything seriously and anything literally.
Mr. Crawley- Lexie's grandfather who everyone is afraid of, but has never seen. He is a powerful man in Brooklyn, Ansty's hometown, where he owns a restaurant. He is very rich but does not like spending money unless he absolutely has to. He has many dogs. He is also afraid to go outside of his home and to be alone. He is very intimidating, and likes to be known that way, but he has a good heart.
Frankie- Antsy's brother who s an excellent student and gets all A's but one day he gets arrested for drunk driving.
Also, one of his best friends, Drew Bigger, told him a general story line which is one way he thought of this book, but mainly just the title.
Neal Shusterman was a very determined man in the way he designed this book to make the reader want to know more.
Young adult literature
Young-adult fiction or young adult literature , also juvenile fiction, is fiction written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents and young adults, roughly ages 14 to 21. The Young Adult Library Services of the American Library Association defines a young adult as "someone between the...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Neal Shusterman
Neal Shusterman
Neal Shusterman is a popular and successful American author of Young Adult literature.Shusterman was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Even from a young age, Shusterman was an avid reader. At age 8, Shusterman sent a letter to E. B. White, informing him that he believed Charlotte's Web...
. Published by Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a publisher founded in 1935 by Sir Allen Lane and V.K. Krishna Menon. Penguin revolutionised publishing in the 1930s through its high quality, inexpensive paperbacks, sold through Woolworths and other high street stores for sixpence. Penguin's success demonstrated that large...
and Dutton Books in 2004. It is about an eighth-grader's friendship with another student named Calvin Schwa, who is capable of seemingly not being noticed by the people around him.
The book received critical acclaim upon its release, receiving a starred review from School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
and a positive review from Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
. It also received the 2005 Boston Globe/Horn Book Magazine
Horn Book Magazine
The Horn Book Magazine, founded in Boston in 1924, is a bimonthly periodical about literature for children and young adults. It began life as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietresses of the country's first bookstore for children, The...
award for fiction and poetry.
The book has been optioned by The Disney Channel for a telefilm project. Shusterman, who previously worked with the channel on the project Pixel Perfect
Pixel Perfect
Pixel Perfect is a 2004 Disney Channel Original Movie. It aired in the United States on January 16, 2004 and in the United Kingdom on January 21, 2004. This is the fiftieth Disney Channel Original Movie.-Plot:...
, has been lined up to write the script for the project.
Calvin Schwa's name
Calvin's family name used to be Schwartz. However, it was changed to Schwa due to a misunderstanding when his family immigrated to America. Appropriately, a schwaSchwa
In linguistics, specifically phonetics and phonology, schwa can mean the following:*An unstressed and toneless neutral vowel sound in some languages, often but not necessarily a mid-central vowel...
is the unstressed, neutral vowel sound "uh", as in the "o" like "carrot". The schwa is represented by the symbol ə, and is the most common vowel sound in the English language.
Plot summary
The story, told from the point of view of Anthony "Antsy" Bonano, involves Antsy and his friends testing their theory that a boy at their school named Calvin Schwa is "invisible." Through a series of accidents, Antsy and the Schwa are forced to work for an elderly man named Mr. Crawley after being caught breaking into his house. Eventually, they meet his granddaughter Lexie, a blind girl who gives both Antsy and the Schwa a new perspective on their situation. They solve the Mystery of The Schwa's disappearing mother, and Calvin(the schwa)leaves New York to go live with her in florida where the Schwa and his mother live happily ever after.Main characters
Anthony "Antsy" Bonano- is an Italian that helps Calvin "the Schwa" become un-invisible. He also narrates the story in 1st person narrationCalvin "the Schwa" Schwartz- The kid who is unnoticed by everyone. He blends with the environment. Antsy and his friends come to call this the "Schwa Effect". Calvin and Antsy put it to good use by placing bets and getting cash. He is tired of blending into his surroundings and going unnoticed by nearly everyone. By the end of the book, he is on the verge of insanity.
Lexis "Lexie" Crawley- Mr. Crawley's blind granddaughter. Antsy was assigned to watch after her. She becomes Antsy's girlfriend, but they break up because Calvin has feelings for her. She also often thinks about and worries for Calvin because she likes him as well as Antsy.
Ira Goldfarb- One of Antsy's best friends. He wants to go into movie making and is a great film maker. He doesn't like The Schwa and is creeped out by him. He is also jealous of Antsy's friendship with him.
Howie Bogerton- Another one of Antsy's best friends. He is very book smart, but not street smart. He doesn't really think outside the box, meaning he takes everything seriously and anything literally.
Mr. Crawley- Lexie's grandfather who everyone is afraid of, but has never seen. He is a powerful man in Brooklyn, Ansty's hometown, where he owns a restaurant. He is very rich but does not like spending money unless he absolutely has to. He has many dogs. He is also afraid to go outside of his home and to be alone. He is very intimidating, and likes to be known that way, but he has a good heart.
Frankie- Antsy's brother who s an excellent student and gets all A's but one day he gets arrested for drunk driving.
Inspiration
Neal Shusterman has said that he was inspired to write this book after visiting Dulles Middle School in Fort Bend County, Texas. He noticed a boy in a classroom who appeared to blend into his surroundings. He said that the boy's shirt blended into his chair and his raised hand blended in with a pole behind him. This gave him the idea of a character who was never noticed by anybody.Also, one of his best friends, Drew Bigger, told him a general story line which is one way he thought of this book, but mainly just the title.
Neal Shusterman was a very determined man in the way he designed this book to make the reader want to know more.