Reality Boy

King, A. (2014). Reality Boy. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.

In the realistic fiction book Reality Boy, a former child reality star struggles to break free of his anger. Gerald Faust holds resentment toward his mother who never really gave him a choice as a five-year old boy to live a normal life. Always surrounded by TV crews, Gerald never experienced life for himself and by himself. Twelve years later, his rage is ever present. His anger issues result in isolation, violent outbursts and misdiagnosis by the adults around him. Gerald realizes that he can try to control his rage even when the people around him are expecting him to break. When Gerald finds a reason to control his anger and experience his future his own way, he finds he can overcome his past. I recommend this book to students in grades 8 and higher. The themes and social issues expressed in this book are what make it so rich for classroom use. In a world where reality shows are the norm, students can stop and begin to analyze the effects that the cameras may have on people in the shows; especially the children involve who weren’t asked permission. I see much potential in reading this with older students, however there is some content that might discomfort parent censors.