Middle School Misadventures

The artwork and story took me back to my childhood when I’d stay awake at night poring over comics under the covers with a flashlight. I sincerely hope this isn’t the last we hear from Newell and his friends at Garfield Middle School.

I loved this book! Charming and funny, it made me laugh more than once. I’ll buy another copy to give my grand niece. If you have kids in middle school, this is the perfect book for them!

My 9-year-old grandson loved it! The drawings are excellent!

Middle School MisadventuresJason PlattJason Platt Nails It!Newell is in trouble again. His principal has already warned him if he misses one more class time, he will be attending summer school. Of course he is late again. His arch enemy Clara signs him up for the talent show as a penguin dressed in a tutu. His principal offers him one final choice summer school or do well in the talent show. However, there is a problem, Newell doesn’t have a talent. His best friend Colin declares that Clara is in love with him. Bossy, bratty and annoying Clara! Other students had talent there were jugglers, tap dancers, monologues, singers, and comediennes. Clara even offers to let Newell dance with her. Newell thinks and thinks but can’t come up with a talent so he tries and tries to get out of being in the talent show. He tries coughing, he tries procrastination, he thinks a snow storm might work. Finally, he decides to wing it. Will he be a success? Or will he be attending summer school.I love this book. It was written for grades 3-7. The style is graphic/comic book style. This book is hilarious. Another reviewer noted they were reminded of “Calvin and Hobbes” I agree the illustrations were very similar. The story line is great. Kudos to Jason Platt for his debut novel.

From my 10yo son:I loved it. It was fun to read and I am definitely going to read it again. It was about this kid named Newell who wakes up on a Wednesday but thinks its Saturday and his friend comes to tell him it's a school day and not a weekend. This is a problem because his principal said if he's late for school one more time he has to go to summer school. He finds out his friend/enemy Clara signed him up for a talent show and his principal says if he does well in the talent show he doesn't have to go to summer school.My thoughts:I very much want my son to read chapter books, but he is drawn over and over to these style books. Normally I don't like them much, but I actually found myself reading over his shoulder, drawn in by the artwork. Then it hit me. It was VERY reminiscent of an old favorite of mine: Calvin & Hobbes. I even went back after he was done and read the whole thing myself--and it was a quick and enjoyable read for sure. I won't have a problem with him reading this over and over and I think it will get passed pretty quickly to the 7yo.