Tremendous Things

Wilbur is sure he’s a loser: he spends his life being bullied, his best friend is 85 years old, and his only talent is playing the triangle in the school band. But things start to look up when he gets the chance to be part of the French exchange. Wilbur’s billet Charlie arrives to spend the week with him and his two moms . . . and it turns out that Charlie is a girl. An amazing, sophisticated, French girl who Wilbur instantly falls in love with.Keen to win her heart, Wilbur agrees to a total life makeover before he sees Charlie again on the return trip to Paris. But the course of true amour never did run smooth . . .

"Susin Nielsen has such a talent for creating pitch-perfect characters and immersive story-worlds that ring with authenticity... Reader, I bawled, I beamed, and was bowled over by every step of Wilbur's life-affirming journey, with the wonders of Charlotte's Web woven through it", "A candid and funny story of first love and body confidence", "A warm, wonderful tale of unrequited love, rotten bullies and appreciating the fleeting marvels in life", "a heart-warming coming-of-age story... Nielsen crafts a cast of diverse characters, and once again showcases her talent for creating strong relationships that will stay with readers beyond the pages of the book. She expertly portrays the intense and turbulent emotions of early adolescence, making the characters relatable, accessible, and endearing. The final product is a book that speaks to readers, both young and old, about the defining moments in this period of life... A thoroughly enjoyable and addictive read!", "A wise and funny contemporary about bravery, friendship and finding the confidence to be true to yourself"

Susin Nielsen got her start writing for popular television series, Degrassi Junior High. Since then, she’s written for many Canadian TV shows and her young adult novels have received considerable critical acclaim. Word Nerd and My Messed-Up Life won multiple Young Readers’ Choice Awards. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen won the UKLA Award, the prestigious Governor General’s Literary Award, the Canadian Library Association’s Children’s Book of the Year and many Young Readers’ Choice Awards, while We Are All Made of Molecules was longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. Susin lives in Vancouver with her family and two extremely destructive cats.