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Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald, illustrated by J.P. Coovert

From Goodreads.com Charlie Joe Jackson may be the most reluctant reader ever born, which has worked out really well for him so far, until he pushes his luck too far one day in middle school…

I received this as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) from the publisher. I wasn’t really sure what to expect. What I found was a clever and amusing middle grades book about a boy named Charlie Joe Jackson who will go to great lengths to avoid reading. The story is told in a combination of first person and second person point of view, so it often doesn’t seem like a novel, more like a friend chatting with you.  The chapters are short and interspersed with Charlie’s tips on how to avoid reading. But, to really get a feel for whether the middle school crowd would enjoy it, I brought in a guest blogger – my 12 year old daughter. I wouldn’t categorize her as a reluctant reader, more of a picky reader. When she likes a book, she’ll devour it.   Here’s her review of Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide To Not Reading:

Charlie Joe Jackson’s guide to not reading is a very good book. I would advise kids of all ages to read it. I really enjoyed the surprises and twists of the plot. I think kids all over would love this book. Reading it has been a pleasure! I LOVED it! (-:

For more info about the book and the author, visit these links:

Official site, Facebook, Twitter, Livejournal

Reviewer(s): Maryanne *and* Kelsey

Source: ARC received from publisher

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Kids

Release Date: July 2011