Restart
Gordon Korman (2017)
“What if you woke up and couldn't remember being a terrible person — would you still be one?”
Why This Book Matters
Restart became one of the most widely assigned middle-grade novels in American schools within years of publication because it accomplished something rare: it made students empathize with a bully while never minimizing the damage bullying causes. The multiple-narrator structure gives equal weight to all perspectives — perpetrator, victim, bystander, and witness — making it a natural tool for classroom discussions about justice, forgiveness, and identity.
Firsts & Innovations
One of the first middle-grade novels to center a bully's perspective as the primary narrative without excusing or romanticizing the behavior
Popularized multiple-narrator structure in middle-grade realistic fiction as a tool for exploring moral complexity
Integrated neuroscience concepts (amnesia, procedural vs. episodic memory) into accessible youth fiction
Cultural Impact
Widely adopted in school anti-bullying curricula across the United States and Canada
Generated classroom debate frameworks about forgiveness, responsibility, and whether people can truly change
Became a recommended text for social-emotional learning programs in grades 5-8
Prompted discussions about restorative justice vs. punitive discipline in educational settings
Frequently cited in adolescent psychology and education research on empathy development
Banned & Challenged
Not commonly banned or challenged, though some educators have expressed concern about the sympathetic portrayal of a bully potentially minimizing victims' experiences. Defenders argue that the multiple-narrator structure ensures victims' perspectives are fully represented.