Erik vs. Everything
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
Can a worrier really become a warrior? Nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener’s life motto is Avoid Stuff, despite his family’s attempts to bring out his inner Viking. In this outrageously quirky, "funny and perceptive"* novel . . . why not be both? (*Booklist, starred review)
Meet Erik Sheepflattener. Each member of his modern-day Viking-heritage family has a motto to live by. His parents have Family and Pride. His sisters have Conquer and Win. His grandfather has Turnip. But Erik is developing a motto he can truly believe in: Avoid Stuff.
Mostly, Erik’s fierce family ignores or discounts him, especially when he tries to say no. But while spending the summer with his rough-and-tumble cousins and older sister Brunhilde in Minnesota, axe-wielding Bru gets the idea to name and Conquer all of Erik’s fears. Will anyone hear him say no before it’s too late? And will Erik end up defined by his fears, or by his fearless family?
Erik vs. Everything is an adventurous, humorous, and heartfelt romp about finding your place, speaking up for yourself, and pursuing what you love . . . even when it scares you.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Much to the consternation of his boisterous white Connecticut family, which adheres to a collection of Viking family advice known as "the Lore," nine-year-old Erik Sheepflattener's motto is "AVOID STUFF. Or maybe just the word NO." Though the rest of the Sheepflatteners don't seem to experience fear, Erik worries about everything from piano lessons to team sports to the possibility of squirrels under his bed. While spending the summer with rambunctious cousins in Minnesota, Erik's strong-willed older sister Brunhilde—who loves to quote Churchill's wartime speeches and channels "her ancestral Viking spirit" —helps Erik conquer his fears by naming and testing each one. Anxious Erik is naturally unenthusiastic about this plan, especially the possibility of utilizing exposure therapy, but has trouble standing up for himself. As the tests proceed, however (including a mountain bike race down Bonebreaker Hill), he finds value in understanding his specific fears and even learns coping skills, such as deep breathing. This riotous second novel by Uss (The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle), interlaced with quotes from the Lore and a toddler's edition of The Art of War, overflows with rollicking scenes of Viking-inspired mayhem and droll dialogue without forgoing respect for the difficulties wrought by Erik's anxiety. Ages 8–12.
