Whatshisface by Gordon Korman

My name is Cooper, and my cellphone is being haunted by a young boy named Roddy from the year 1596! My new school is presenting Romeo and Juliet, but Roddy says Shakespeare stole the script from a play he wrote! I have an idea to right this wrong, but it involves the town’s billionaire. Plus, Jolie is the only one at school who knows my name, and she’s co-starring in the play with the biggest jerk in seventh grade. Roddy’s giving me advice on how to talk to her, but he doesn’t fully understand kids today. I can’t speak old English to her, and Roddy’s embarrassed me more than once. I'm now known as the kid who made the school smell like rotten eggs. Roddy’s discovered how to escape the phone by himself, and I’m worried about the new trouble he’ll create for me.

You can usually rely on Korman to write entertaining stories. The majority of the plot is about Cooper’s efforts to gain Jolie’s favor, as she is free-spirited with a love for thrills and adventure. That description doesn't fit Cooper, but Jolie and Roddy help him leave his leave his comfort zone. Many middle school students can identify with his character, as they try to be accepted by their peers. Sadly, Roddy is Cooper's only close friend until the book’s resolution. Roddy is the most interesting character. He loves television and other electronic inventions and is enamored by Vanna White on “Wheel of Fortune”. His advice to Cooper is amusing, since kids don’t profess their love so quickly and openly. If he had his way, Cooper and Jolie would have married during the first week of school. Roddy challenges Cooper to take risks, and things usually work out okay. I don’t know if there’s any truth to Shakespeare stealing ideas from other authors, but it’s an interesting twist.