Winger

A teen at boarding school grapples with life, love, and rugby in a heartbreakingly funny novel.

Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year-old junior at a boarding school for rich kids. He's living in Opportunity Hall, the dorm for troublemakers, and rooming with the biggest bully on the rugby team. And he's madly in love with his best friend Annie, who thinks of him as a little boy.

With the help of his sense of humor, rugby buddies, and his penchant for doodling comics, Ryan Dean manages to survive life's complications and even find some happiness along the way. But when the unthinkable happens, he has to figure out how to hold on to what's important, even when it feels like everything has fallen apart.

Filled with hand-drawn infographics and illustrations and told in a pitch-perfect voice, this realistic depiction of a teen's experience strikes an exceptional balance of hilarious and heartbreaking.

Author: Andrew Smith
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Published: 05/14/2013
Pages: 448
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.30h x 5.80w x 1.60d
ISBN: 9781442444928
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 5.3
Point Value: 14
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 158364 / Winger


Award: Gateway Readers Award - Nominee
Award: Tayshas Reading - Highly Commended
Award: Rhode Island Teen Book Award - Nominee
Award: Young Reader's Choice Award - Nominee
Award: Louisiana Teen Readers' Choice - Nominee
Award: Georgia Peach Book Award for Teen Readers - Nominee
Award: Nutmeg Book Award - Nominee


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 03/04/2013
Kirkus Reviews 04/01/2013
Booklist 04/15/2013 pg. 56
School Library Journal 05/01/2013 pg. 126
New York Times Book Review 05/12/2013 pg. 25
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 06/01/2013 pg. 482
Voice of Youth Advocates 06/01/2013 - Recommended - Hard To Beat
Shelf Awareness 05/28/2013
Horn Book Magazine 07/01/2013 pg. 148
PW Best Children's Books 11/11/2013 pg. 28
Kirkus Best Young-Adult Books 12/01/2013 pg. 61
Booklist Ed Choice Youth 01/01/2014 pg. 15
Entertainment Weekly 06/27/2014 pg. 23
Hornbook Guide to Children 07/01/2013 pg. 132 - Superior,Well Above Average
BookPage 06/01/2013

About the Author
Smith, Andrew: - Andrew Smith is the author of several novels for young adults, including Winger, Stand-Off, 100 Sideways Miles, and the Michael L. Printz Honor Book Grasshopper Jungle. He lives in a remote area in the mountains of Southern California with his family, two horses, two dogs, and three cats. He doesn't watch television, and occupies himself by writing, bumping into things outdoors, and taking ten-mile runs on snowy trails. Visit him online at AuthorAndrewSmith.com.