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Book Review of The Dictionary of High School B.S.: From Acne to Varsity, All the Funny, Lame, and Annoying Aspects of High School Life

GeniusJen avatar reviewed on + 5322 more book reviews


Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Starting high school is both a thrilling and stressful experience. Everything is new, and you may feel lost. Let me suggest a way to make this transition a whole lot easier: pick up a copy of THE DICTIONARY OF HIGH SCHOOL B.S.!

I've never been able to resist a book that is both highly informative and outrageously hilarious, and this one definitely is both. As the title suggests, it's an A-Z dictionary of terms that everyone entering (or attempting to survive) high school needs to know.

The absolute best thing about each entry is that it includes multiple definitions - the tried and true, boring-as-dirt meaning, and multiple examples of what the word REALLY means in a high school setting.

For example:

These are the best years of your life (exp) 1. a platitude often spoken by parents, teachers, guidance counselors, and other adults. 2. a total lie (thank goodness).

Assembly (n) 1. a convocation of the entire student body, usually in the school gym or auditorium. 2. an event, usually characterized by a zoo-like atmosphere with lots of yelling, flirting, and maybe even crowd surfing, that features the appearance of the principal and/or the discussion of something supposedly so important it requires everyone getting together in the same space; event may feature a talk about the rise in campus violence, a lecture on drunk driving, or a performance by a visiting African dance troupe.

Homework (n) 1. academic exercises such as reading, writing essays, and doing math problems. 2. something that one is supposed to do at home but that usually gets done on the school bus, in homeroom, or in the cafeteria. 3. arguably one of the most irritating aspects of high school since the whole point of going to school is to work there and not at home.

There are hundreds of entries just as funny and helpful as these examples. You'll never run out of something to laugh at, and beneath all of the snarky definitions, you'll find out that this is one dictionary that really is a must-have for your high school experience. I can't recommend this one highly enough.