Ethan Marcus Stands Up

By Michele Weber Hurwitz

Part of the Ethan Marcus series

A student's protest against sitting leads to unexpected school drama and invention challenges.

3.9/5 Goodreads · 144 ratings

272 pages· 42,605 words· Est. 6 hour read

$17.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

Ethan Marcus, tired of sitting, defies classroom rules, sparking chaos and a chance at redemption through the school's Invention Day Competition. As he teams up with his friend Brian, tensions rise with his sister Erin, and tech whiz Romanov offers no help. Meanwhile, Erin's friend Zoe navigates her feelings for Ethan, and loner Wesley might hold secrets of his own. With multiple perspectives, this story unravels the truth behind Ethan's stand and the surprising outcomes of his rebellion.

From the publisher

Multiple points of view lead to multiple theories about what really happened after one kid turns a punishment into a protest in this hilarious novel from Michele Weber Hurwitz.

Perennial good kid Ethan Marcus has just done the unthinkable: refuse to stay seated during class. He’s not causing a riot; he’s not wandering around; he’s just sick of sitting. But the rules aren’t designed for Ethan, and so he is sent to the principal’s office.

When Ethan’s sentence results in a Reflection Day—McNutt Middle School’s answer to detention—his faculty advisor suggests that Ethan channel the energy that caused his “transgression” by entering the school’s Invention Day Competition. Ethan is not exactly Mark Zuckerberg, so he doubts his ability to make anything competition-worthy. That’s the department of his slightly older sister Erin. But as Ethan and his buddy Brian get into the assignment, they realize they might actually have something.

Enter Romanov, the resident tech whiz, who refuses to give them tips. But Erin is furious at her formally slacker—now traitor—brother. Meanwhile, Erin’s friend Zoe is steering clear of Erin’s drama after realizing that she may be crushing on Ethan. Then there’s Brian who has bigger things to worry about, and finally loner kid Wesley, who may know more than others realize…

Told in the perspectives of multiple students, discover what really happened on the day that one kid decided to take a stand against sitting down.

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