Zen and the Art of Faking It

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Summary: San Lee is an adopted eighth grader with a father who is in jail for fraud. He's had to move around a lot because of this, and invents a new persona for himself at every new school. At this one, he uses his Chinese heritage and the fact that he once did a paper on Buddhism to convince his fellow students that he's a Zen master. This makes him instantly popular, and he hopes it will make him stand out to Woody, the very unique girl who sings folk songs and plays guitar in the cafeteria. The plan works, but now San has a problem--everyone thinks he's someone he's not. How can he ever truly be himself without exposing his lie?

My thoughts: This is nowhere near as good as Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, but Sonnenblick's trademark humor and original plot lines make it another winner!