Janet Tashjian – författare

Derek Fallon has trouble sitting still and reading. But creating cartoons of his vocabulary words comes easy. If only life were as simple!

Derek Fallon discovers all the angst that comes with being twelve—he just wants to feel grown up, but life gets in the way with a series of mishaps that make him look like a baby. He passes out during a worm dissection in science class, falls flat on his face in gym class and gets a fat lip that causes him to lisp all day, and his plans for a monster-truck party turn into a bouncy house disaster. Why isn''t being in middle school as great as Derek imagined? Thankfully, with a little help from his friends—and, ironically, a Toys for Tots fundraiser—things seem like they could start shaping up at last.My Life as a Joke by Janet and Jake Tashjian is a Christy Ottaviano Book

Derek Fallon''s well-intentioned plan to help a new classmate takes a hilarious and unexpected turn in this engaging middle grade novel.There''s a new kid in Derek Fallon''s class. His name is Umberto and he uses a wheelchair. With his family still fostering Frank the monkey, Derek thinks it would be great to train Frank to assist Umberto. But he quickly realizes that Umberto is definitely not looking for any help. Instead, Derek becomes the target of Umberto''s jokes and finds his cartoon ideas being stolen and claimed as Umberto''s own. Caught in an awkward predicament, Derek must find a way out of this mess before he becomes the laughingstock of school. The solution may lie in his own cartoon strip—SUPER FRANK!My Life as a Cartoonist, the third book in the popular "My Life . . ." series, features illustrations by Janet Tashjian''s son, Jake Tashjian. This humorous chapter book is perfect for reluctant readers and tackles themes of friendship, disabilities, bullying, and finding one''s voice in a realistic middle school setting.

Book 8 of the much-loved My Life seriesDerek Fallon loves making funny memes, but when he finds himself the joke of a viral meme, he realizes how easy it is to offend others using this platform. Derek decides to confront the creator of the hurtful meme, all during the backdrop of a fire evacuation that has put him in the same place as his meme bully. Here is another thoughtful, funny, and timely adventure in the life of the ever-loving, ever-mischievous Derek Fallon. Christy Ottaviano Books

My Life as a Coder is the ninth book in Janet Tashjian''s much-loved, diary fiction My Life series starring reluctant reader Derek Fallon, featuring illustrations by Jake Tashjian.Derek Fallon receives an exciting new gift--a laptop! But there''s a catch: it has no Wi-Fi so he can''t use it for gaming. If he wants to play computer games, he''ll have to learn how to code them himself. Another unforgettable adventure awaits in Book 9 of the My Life series, this time involving tech and coding!Christy Ottaviano Books

Janet and Jake Tashjian’s My Life as a Billionaire is Book 10 in the much-loved, illustrated My Life series.Derek Fallon won the lottery and now gets to split over a billion dollars with a friend—the buying possibilities are endless—skateboards!, sneakers! video games!, a backyard skateboard park!!!—let the shopping begin. But Derek is soon challenged with new obstacles that he hadn’t thought of before. Having money to spend should make his life easier but it’s bringing with it lots of anxiety. It’s up to Derek to find a balance with his newfound wealth, and to consider the best ways to spend his money.Christy Ottaviano Books

My Life as a Stuntboy is the follow-up to the acclaimed My Life as a Book starring the irrepressible Derek Fallon. Janet and Jake Tashjian’s award-winning My Life series, praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a kinder, gentler Wimpy Kid with all the fun”, follows the coming-of-age misadventures of middle-grader Derek Fallon in school and through his attempts to follow his bliss. Derek Fallon gets the opportunity of a lifetime—to be a stuntboy in a major movie featuring a pretty teen starlet. After accepting the job he learns that he is the star''s stunt double and must wear a wig! His friends are never going to let him live this down. If that weren''t his only problem, his parents are threatening to give away his pet monkey, and his best friend just posted an embarrassing video of him on YouTube. Can life get any worse? Still the irrepressible Derek takes it all in stride and even manages to save the day.A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

Janet and Jake Tashjian’s award-winning My Life series, praised by Kirkus Reviews as “a kinder, gentler Wimpy Kid with all the fun”, follows the coming-of-age misadventures of middle-grader Derek Fallon in school and through his attempts to follow his bliss. My Life as a Book is the one that started it all...Summer''s finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek''s dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he''s been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books--something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes. As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company

Summer''s finally here, and Derek Fallon is looking forward to pelting the UPS truck with water balloons, climbing onto the garage roof, and conducting silly investigations. But when his parents decide to send him to Learning Camp, Derek''s dreams of fun come to an end. Ever since he''s been labeled a "reluctant reader," his mom has pushed him to read "real" books-something other than his beloved Calvin & Hobbes. As Derek forges unexpected friendships and uncovers a family secret involving himself (in diapers! no less), he realizes that adventures and surprises are around the corner, complete with curve balls. My Life as a Book is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children''s Book of the Year.

After creating a controversial and hugely popular website, teenager Josh Swensen becomes trapped inside his brilliant creation and must find a way to remain anonymous.I am lying on my bed doing my homework in Greek and Latin roots for Advanced English. ''Ped'' for foot, ''homo'' for man, ''nym'' for name. I sit with the dictionary in front of me, coming up with as many words as I can to complete the assignment. Pedestrian, homicide, pseudonym . . . I have more than thirty of them. By accident -- that''s always how these life-changing things happen -- I connect two halves that don''t seem like a word until I look it up. ''Pseudo'', false; and ''cide,'' to kill = pseudocide. To pretend to kill (yourself).I stare at the word for a good long time. Homicide, suicide, genocide: these are words you can find in the newspaper every day. But pseudocide . . . now here was something different. My mind wanders from my homework to the blue cotton threads of my bedspread. Pseudocide. A way to start again as someone completely new, a way to burn the old self and try on a new one.Josh Swensen isn''t your average teenager - when he observes America, he sees a powerhouse of consumerism and waste. He''s even tried to do something about it, with his start-up controversial website. But when Josh rises to messiah status of the internet world, he discovers that greed and superficiality are not easily escaped. Trapped inside his own creation, Josh feels his only way out is to stage his death and be free of his internet alter-ego, "Larry." But this plan comes with danger, and soon Josh finds himself cut off from the world, with no one to turn to for help. In this suspenseful young adult novel, Janet Tashjian has written a probing tour-de-force.

A Profound Adventure in Search of MeaningJosh Swensen (otherwise known as Larry) can''t seem to get off the couch. His usual overactive imagination and save-the-world mindset have all but vanished, and his best friend Beth is seriously worried. When Beth coaxes Josh into taking a walk at Walden Pond, Josh meets Gus Muldarian, a spiritual guru who convinces him to join his study group as a way to find deeper meaning in life.Though initially skeptical, Josh, feeling desperate and seeing no way out of his rut, agrees to try it. What begins as a harmless Thoreau-esque search for meaning soon turns into Josh''s most chaotic and profound adventure yet.After the success of The Gospel According to Larry and Vote for Larry, Janet Tashjian returns with yet another tour de force—a book that explores important topics such as self-discovery, spirituality, and the challenges of modern life, while keeping teens hooked right until the unexpected end.

Derek Fallon gets the opportunity of a lifetime—to be a stunt boy in a major movie featuring a pretty teen starlet. After accepting the job he learns that he is the star''s stunt double and must wear a wig! His friends are never going to let him live this down. If that weren''t his only problem, his parents are threatening to give away his pet monkey, and his best friend just posted an embarrassing video of him on Youtube. Can life get any worse? Still the irrepressible Derek takes it all in stride and even manages to save the day.

Those were the magic words and Beth knew it. How many times had I uttered that phrase to Ms. Robinson in guidance, the standard answer for what I wanted to do with my life? CHANGE THE WORLD. Did I still have the strength and determination to get it together and try to make a difference? Was it my destiny, my vocation?Or was I just trying to impress a girl? As I looked at Beth, I wondered if the reason why even mattered.The indefatigable Larry is back, and this time he takes on the American political system After falling off the wagon and becoming what he so clearly and strongly resisted-a consumer-Josh Swensen (aka Larry) finds himself in a hyper-paranoid state of no return. That is, until he''s kidnapped and coaxed into resurfacing as his old persona. Before long, Larry is back on the scene with much more on his mind than a gospel Web site-this time Larry wants to affect change in government. What starts out as a campaign to get the younger population to vote turns into a run for the presidency. Can Larry really take on George Bush?In this very smart, very witty novel, Janet Tashjian brings the political world to the forefront and explores it from many different points of view.

Book 6 in the bestselling My Life series! Derek Fallon has expanded his taste in cartoons to the world of manga and anime. Together with his friends Carly, Matt, and Umberto, Derek has fun learning about all the cool aspects of ninja culture. When someone starts vandalizing their school with graffiti of a mischievous troll-like figure, these ninjas-in-training are convinced they''ll be able to crack the case. But it turns out that being a ninja is a lot more work than they thought, and this adventure brings about new opportunities for Derek to embarrass himself. For once, can he be the hero that saves the day?A Christy Ottaviano Book