BookBright
ABOUT THE BOOK
NO SPOILERSBrian Day is a quiet, anxious seventh grader at Halifax North Junior High who privately calls his social anxiety Super Awkward Weirdo Syndrome, or SAWS for short. He barely talks to anyone at school except Ezra Komizarek, a much louder classmate he knows from the basketball bench. On the morning of Brian's thirteenth birthday, his carefully managed world falls apart. His father is gone without warning, leaving behind only a hurried note, and his mother is rushed to the hospital after a mental health crisis that leaves Brian unsure who is left to depend on. Suddenly in the hands of social workers and near strangers, Brian has to look after his younger brother, Richie, guard a growing pile of secrets, and figure out who he can actually trust, all while feeling less and less like himself. Told from both Brian's and Ezra's points of view, Thanks a Lot, Universe follows what happens when Brian's carefully controlled life gets turned inside out.
Free Battle of the Books questions for Thanks a Lot, Universe
SPOILERSEvery one of these has the same answer, and that is the point. In a real battle the question is read aloud with a dozen other books in play, and students have a few seconds to place it. Here is what a battle might ask about Thanks a Lot, Universe. Use them as a quiz, a trivia round, or BOTB practice.
Where in the book they come from
- Early in the book
In what book is a four-boy group chat named the Juice?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Ezra, Colby, Kevan, and Ty named their chat after Ty once texting what's the juice, lads. Ezra thinks four is the perfect number of friends, so the Juicy Four feel like home base until things start falling apart.
- First half
In what book does a boy reserve a secret hotel room using his foster mother's credit card?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Brian plans the getaway with Richie after a Father's Day outing, books the room on the Wentzells' computer, and deletes the browser history. Running away is the exact opposite of what rule-following Brian would normally do, which shows how deep into Ice Mode he has gone.
- First half
In what book does a boy admit a crush while waiting for a medium pepperoni pizza?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Brittany gently guesses what Ezra has not said out loud, and he tells her he has a crush on Brian. It is the first time Ezra says it to anyone, and he feels both terrified and relieved.
- Second half
In what book does a boy stumble toward a basement's blue glow during a panic attack?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Brian wakes up unable to breathe and heads for the brightest light in the house, which turns out to be Gabe's paused video game. Gabe recognizes what is happening, tells him it sounds like a panic attack, and talks him through slow breaths.
- Second half
In what book does a boy grin and say, "You know the Black Network is strong"?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Ty says it while counting off on his fingers all the ways he already knows Gabe, from the Y to their church. Ty's family has been in Nova Scotia since the Black Loyalists arrived in the 1780s, so his roots in the city run deep.
- Near the end
In what book does a boy write party preparation tips for Super Awkward Weirdos?
✓ Answer
Thanks a Lot, Universe by Chad Lucas
Brian's numbered list covers deodorant, rehearsed safe topics, and trying not to feel ridiculous talking to himself in the bathroom mirror. It ends with a choice between bailing on the night or trusting his friends, and for once he picks trusting them.
