Jack Strong Takes a Stand

"Couch potatoes unite!"

A lot of kids have participated in extracurricular activities, both in and outside of school.  But what happens when those activities become too much?

In Jack Strong Takes a Stand, by Tommy Greenwald (of the Charlie Joe Jackson series), we see what happens when activities run (and ruin) a kid's life.  Jack is a middle-school kid who is involved with tennis, baseball, cello, karate, and Chinese language lessons...plus all his school work!  His parents just want him to be "well-rounded" for college, but Jack just wants to be a normal kid- video games and all.  After missing a crucial social event, and not being able to take a breath from yet another activity, Jack decides he's had enough.  He decides he will not leave his couch (besides bathroom and the occasional food breaks).  As Jack sits, the community watches him take a stand.

This was a fun, funny read.  It was mostly light-hearted, but made a good point.  I reviewed Jason Odell Williams' book Personal Statement earlier.  This was similar- kind of like Personal Statement for Jr. High...but Jack is a bit of the antithesis of most of the characters in the other book.  The illustrations also add to the story- I loved the diagrams of the couch and Nana's Tongue Sandwich (it's not as dirty as it sounds).

Jack's narration is great- something I think many middle-grade boys will relate to (especially if they like a girl who's "so pretty it makes [their] eyebrows hurt."  I read bits and pieces out loud to co-workers, because it was making me chuckle.

This book takes a good look at family: parents doing what they think is best for their kids; talking things out; reaching compromises; and pulling together in scary/tough times.  As Jack's father puts it "never say anything bad about your family.  We stick together through thick and thin."  I like that it shows the family with flaws.  The parents aren't perfect, Jack isn't perfect, but they love each other and worked together as a family.

Jack Strong made me grateful for parents who didn't make me do activities I didn't want to do...except basketball.  I'm not athletic, and I was made to play basketball through Jr. High.  That took some arguing, but I got to quit.  

It's interesting to see how competitive things have gotten in children's futures: that your preschool determines your college/university; that over-involvement in every activity known to man will give you an edge.  While yes, it will give you an edge, is it worth it to not let kids be kids?

I'd recommend this to both kids and parents.  It's an easy read, and the character is likable enough that I think reluctant readers would enjoy it (and the Charlie Joe Jackson series).  It does a good job of showing both sides of the situation, and does so in a funny way.

Jack Strong Takes a Stand is published by Roaring Brook Press (a division of Macmillan).  ARC generously provided by the publisher.

Release Date: 09.24.2013

Hypnotize Me (The Hypnotists #1)

Librarian Fail. I never read a Gordon Korman book.  I recommend the heck out of him to boys looking for something that will interest them...but have never, ever looked at anything more than the spine (okay, maybe the cover) of a Korman book.  However, when Scholastic sent me an ARC for the first in a new series called The Hypnotists, I figured I should give it a shot...and I'm so very glad I did.

Jackson Opus is twelve years old, and has always been persuasive.  He won the student council election without even running, he got the other team's star basketball player to shoot like a toddler, and can get any bus to stop for him.  What he doesn't realize is, he's descended from a long line of very talented hypnotists.  When he's accepted into the esteemed Sentia institute, he's very excited- and his parents are very proud. Soon he's learning to bend minds, and his best friend Tommy thinks it's the coolest thing ever! However, things are darker and deeper than they seem, and soon Jax is in over his head. Will Jax be able to control his powers, or will Sentia control him?

This is a great read, especially for middle-grade boys.  I'd say probably 3rd-7th.  The dialogue is funny, and there's just enough challenging vocabulary to make it educational, too.  The characters are well-written, and not just one-dimensional.  There are some great moments of hypnotism gone awry- one of my favorites occurs in the school cafeteria, and also some heart-stopping action-y moments.  

I'm always on the lookout for books to sell to boys.  It's not that I'm not on the lookout for books to sell to girls, too, but, truthfully, girls are an easier sell.  Girls don't care, usually, about the gender of the protagonist, etc.  I think boys definitely love stories about guys their own age being chosen to do extraordinary things (like Horowitz's Alex Rider series, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, even the 39 Clues series...which also has books written by Korman!)  

Full of action and adventure, fantasy, and humor, this book gets two thumbs up from me!  There's even some political intrigue thrown in for good measure!








Hypnotize Me (The Hypnotists #1) is published by Scholastic.  ARC provided by publisher.
Release Date: 08.2013