This is the fun, and sometimes dramatic, story of two fourth grade boys, Philip and Emery, and how they deal with their sixth grade bully. With the help from an unlikely source, these children have some pretty crazy things happen to them, dealing with the bully. The story begins with an art competition that Phillip and Emery enter. The bully, Johnny Visco has also entered a piece in the competition. What ensues at the show is a very comical tale of how Philip and Emery deal with Johnny Visco.

It was very refreshing to read a book written for “young adults” that wasn’t all about romance. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t any romance in this story. Not only wasn’t there any romance, but the children in this story didn’t need to fight with guns or other weapons. They fought with their words and their “plans” for getting revenge. The boys had help from their parents and from their friends in getting even. Had it been that their neighbor’s hearing aide worked properly, or it didn’t constantly need a new battery, this story would not be nearly as entertaining as it was. Their neighbor Mr. Conway, an eighty-something year old man was funny and very feisty. Do the boys get even? Do they stay friends at the end of the book? The answer to these questions is, yes, in their own misguided attempts, they do get even and are also friends at the end of the story.

John Paulits tells a fun and heartwarming story in Phillip Gets Even. Paulits tells the story in a positive light. Also, the characters aren’t whiney or boring. The children are multidimensional. I can’t wait to read the next “Philip” book called Phillip and The Case of Mistaken Identity.

Reviewed by: Audrey