By Rabita Aziz (December 19, 2002)

10^th Grade, by Joseph Weisberg, gives the average female reader, like myself, a look into the minds of the strange and puzzling species we know as ‘boys.’ From reading this book, I, the average female reader, have discovered what boys really think about. And that my dear female friends, are girls. I have also discovered that, although boys are after one thing, and we all know what that one thing is, they also have complex minds full of feelings, emotions, and opinions. Boys, like girls, have many insecurities, and they do care about things girls care about, such as school, friends, family, and image. 

I learned all of this from reading about a typical member of the male species, named Jeremiah Reskin, who is in tenth grade. Jeremiah, also known as Jeremy, goes through many societal changes in the 10^th grade, from hanging out with poetic druggies in a restricted place in school during lunch, to going to the prom--not allowed for tenth graders, of course--with one of the most popular girls in school. The young boy also tells of experiences he had in tenth grade, such as when he went into a pornography shop, underage of course, and bought French porn. He felt that the porn was disgusting, and he felt very horrible about buying it illegally. As a result, he wrote a letter to the owner of the shop, apologizing for his actions, but he never sent it. He also experienced drugs for the first time, and worked his way through group back rubs.

He chronicles his experiences in tenth grade in a notebook he had for creative writing class. This notebook is chock-full of grammatical errors, such as the use, or no use, of commas, and many run-on sentences. At first, it was difficult to read, but as time went by, it became easier to decipher. Jeremy told of the issues he had with his father, which I’m sure many teenage boys can understand. He also talked about his feelings he had for a couple of girls, and his friendships with several teenage boys. 

I learned a lot about boys from this book. I now see the male species in a different light, and I’m sure that whoever reads this book will feel the same way. I recommend this book for both boys and girls, but especially for girls, because this novel answers many questions we girls have about the strange, mystifying, yet exhilarating opposite sex known as the male species.