In this latest book by the popular author of Bunnicula and The Watcher, James Howe tackles the issue of name-calling and standing up to bias in middle school. With much humor and a voice accessible to middle school students, The Misfits explores themes including popularity, love and loss, and what it means to be different. The characters, including an open and unapologetically gay boy, are not cast as victims, but as self-empowered agents of change who will stand as solid role models to young readers everywhere.