Harriet Savitz

Sidney! Sidney! Sidney! Harriet Savitz

Seventeen-year-old Lou walks into his bedroom one day and decides he doesn't want to leave. With four years of college looming ahead, a world out of control, and his mom about to sell SeaView, the boarding house they own and live in, he wants to avoid life. In short, everything that is outside of his room is now the enemy. Lou shuts off his computer, unplugs his television, and puts his iPod in the attic. With nothing to listen to but an old radio from his grandmother, he stays locked in his room for weeks, refusing to see anyone, even his girlfriend, Betty Jo. One evening, Lou calls a radio talk show hosted by Big John, and introduces himself as Sidney-and his alter ego is born. Soon, ending "Sidney's" self-isolation becomes Big John's quest. The radio station holds a contest to find the best idea to lure Sidney out of his room; the winner gets a trip to Hawaii. As the radio audience becomes more familiar with Sidney's crusade, some cheer and others jeer. But even though Sidney tries to keep life out of his room, it manages to sneak in at the most unexpected moments