Notes from the Life of a Total Genius (24 page)

June 27th

Dear RJ,

School’s out! It turns out the grad assembly was really boring, and kind of anti-climactic. We walked across the stage and shook hands with Kraleigh (I almost did a fake-out, but I chickened out at the last minute), then there was a long speech about following your dreams, and they handed out a bunch of awards. I didn’t win any, but neither did Von, and he had been talking about how he was going to, so that was awesome. Kennedy won the leadership award she was so intent on winning. She got a fancy watch, which is weird because I don’t know anyone other than my dad who still wears a watch. Isn’t that what phones are for?

There were lots of parents there as well. I felt bad for them for having to sit through the assembly. Dad came, and took some photos, but I don’t know why; we didn’t have grad gowns or anything. Everyone just dressed a little bit nicer. Von wore a full suit, which was hilarious because he was the only one. He didn’t seem to mind though. I would have hated to be the only one dressed super formally. I went out for pizza and bowling afterwards with the other Leg Breakers (we’ve decided to keep the name since it’s so good). Even though Joie doesn’t go to our school, she came. And she sat beside me at the restaurant. It kind of made me nervous. I don’t know why that made me feel so nervous, it’s not like we’re dating.

The restaurant was the best part. I heard a bunch of guys were having a party, but we decided that it would be more fun to not hang around them and to do our own thing. There’s always so much drama at their parties, anyway. That’s not my style.

It’s a bit weird to go into the summer knowing that next year everything will be so different. There are four different junior highs that feed into our high school, like Joie’s school and a few others. At least all the Leg Breakers will be there. We’re all going to take Drama. And I’ll still have you around, RJ. I mean, at least for a bit. I guess Reading Journals are good for something.

Yours truly,

Arthur Bean

YEAR-END REPORT CARD

Arthur showed significant improvement over the year. It was a real delight to read his assignments, and he was able to achieve the three personal goals he set for himself at the beginning of the year. More than that, it has been wonderful to see Arthur mature as a writer and a student over the past three years. I wish him the very best in high school, and I look forward to seeing his first novel in print one day.

Ms Whitehead

Arthur Bean

English 9C — Ms Whitehead

Year-End Summary

From: Joie Vinh ([email protected])

To: Arthur Bean ([email protected])

Sent: June 30, 11:22

Yo! Bean!

I read the wolf book you recommended and you’re right. It’s awesome. I’ll have to give it back to you, plus I have a book that, I think, will Blow. Your. Mind. I can hear your brain exploding already. Don’t read it in your tent in the Yukon, or else the bears will come to eat your exploded brains, and your poor dad will have to fend off grizzlies that have developed a taste for human flesh. Sigh. Poor Ernie Bean.

Do you think we’ll get to hang out before you go? At the risk of sounding all weird and gushy, I’d really like to hang out with just you before you possibly die in the wilds of the Canadian North. But if you don’t want to, that’s OK. I understand that you may need time to practise your gold-panning skills. All that swirling, and dipping … it can be hard work.

Man, I don’t know how to end this email. I’m so awkward. This is so awkward. Maybe I should pretend that something terrible is about to happen so that it’s not awkward.

Oh! I have to go! There’s a giant alligator coming out of the sewer. I think it’s trying to eaaaatttttt …

Joie

Thank you to Anne Shone, Erin Haggett, Aldo Fierro, Nikole Kritikos, Maral Maclagan and the whole team at Scholastic, with an extra-special thank you to Sandy Bogart Johnston, editor and human extraordinaire — thank you for guiding me through the new waters of writing a trilogy. Also, a loud shout-out to Simon Kwan for amazing illustrations that make me laugh each time I see a new one; my favourite is the one with the fencing podium.

Thank you to Hilary McMahon for being in my corner, and to Tanya Lloyd Kyi, Shannon Ozirny, Kallie George, Lori Sherritt-Fleming, Maryn Quarless and Christy Goerzen for all their advice, support and wisdom.

I’m eternally grateful to be surrounded by love from my family and for all they do for me. Anna, Robert, Diane, Curtiss, Andrew and Chelsey: you mean the world to me, along with the rest of the Matson and Sashaw clans. Yes, Denise. That includes you.

My love goes to Kamila Zloty: the Millie to my Joie, the Betty to my Al. I can’t believe we didn’t become professional fencers. We were so dedicated!

And, very importantly: Ross Hodgson, Jason Patrick Rothery and Ethan Cole, three fellows who have served as the muses for this book. I’d have never had the idea for this one without you.

The first book about Arthur A. Bean,
A Year in the Life of a (Total and Complete) Genius
, began as Stacey Matson’s master’s thesis at the University of British Columbia. The book went on to be short-listed for the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award, the Chocolate Lily Award, the Snow Willow Award and the Rocky Mountain Book Award. It was also chosen by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre for
Best Books for Kids & Teens
, 2015. The second book in the series,
Scenes from the Epic Life of a Total Genius
, was short-listed for the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award and was a starred selection in
Best Books for Kids & Teens
, 2016.

Stacey has an intriguingly varied list of non-writing occupations. She has managed the tour and theatre program on Parliament Hill; created interpretation programs for the Glenbow Museum, Fort Calgary and the Vancouver Aquarium; run a Christmas-tree lot; worked as a forklift operator; and performed as a fairy princess at birthday parties. Stacey was recently selected by the Writers’ Trust of Canada as a writer-in-residence at Berton House in Dawson City, Yukon.

“At once funny, outrageous, thoughtful, and informative … this is a story with something for everyone, and Arthur’s is a voice readers won’t soon forget. Give to fans of Susin Nielsen’s
Word Nerd.
”

—
CM: Canadian Review of Materials

“[A] splendid debut middle grade novel.”

—
The Vancouver Sun

“An ideal tool to jumpstart a conversation about the subtleties of social interaction and how people communicate, while still being a light and funny read.”

—
Quill & Quire

Scholastic Canada Ltd.
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Scholastic Children’s Books
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www.scholastic.ca

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Matson, Stacey, author
Notes from the [text blacked out] life of a total genius
/ Stacey Matson ; illustrations by Simon Kwan.

In the title the word before “life” is blacked out and illegible.
Issued in print and electronic formats.
Notes from the [text blacked out] life of a total genius.
ISBN 978-1-4431-4823-8 (hardback).--ISBN 978-1-4431-4824-5
(paperback).--ISBN 978-1-4431-4825-2 (html)

I. Kwan, Simon (Illustrator), illustrator II. Title.
III. Title: Notes from the life of a total genius.

PS8626.A839N68 2016     jC813’.6     C2016-900932-7

Cover images: Boy, © IkazNarsis/Shutterstock, Inc.; Censored, © Thomas Pajot/Shutterstock, Inc.

Text copyright © 2016 by Stacey Matson.
Illustrations by Simon Kwan © 2016 by Scholastic Canada Ltd.
Comic panel (October 2) copyright © 2016 by Stacey Matson.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read this e-book on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 604 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1E1, Canada.

First e-book edition: September 2016