Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading - Book Review

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Attention non readers, book haters, and reading homework slackers, I have found the book, uh hum.. I mean guide for you, Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading by Tommy Greenwald. If your parents catch you consulting this guide, do NOT tell them you got the recommendation from me.

 To say that Charlie Joe Jackson hates reading would be the understatement of the year, maybe even the understatement of the century. He would do anything to get out of reading, even buy a friend ice cream sandwiches over many years to get him to do his reading for him. When that abruptly comes to an end, Charlie Joe resorts to plan B. A plan so elaborate it involves bribery and manipulation. Worse, it involves setting up the girl of his dreams with the nerdiest boy in school.

No matter what happens, Charlie Joe must find a way to keep his perfect record of not reading a book even if that means writing one instead.

Anybody who has ever had a middle grade non reader or if you are of those middle grade non readers will agree that author Tommy Greenwald hits it right on the head with his non reading tips spread throughout Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading. As a parent of a twelve year old reluctant reader, I have heard many of the excuses in the book. Reading the book with my son has given him some new ideas. The book really struck a chord for both of us and is one of the first books my son asked me to keep reading even when I was ready to be done. Charlie Joe Jackson's antics made both of us laugh several times. Charlie Joe is a likable hero who every book hater can relate to. Unlike Charlie Joe's tip #25: When you are done with a book, never look at it again, the non-reader will want to look at this one again. I admit, I had to pay my son to read the book with me, but it is the only book I've reviewed that he has asked to keep and one in which I gladly purchased for him. Not only would I highly recommend this book to the reluctant reader, I would highly recommend it for the child who loves to read too.  Ages 10-12.

Publisher:  Roaring Brook Press
Page Count:  224 pp.


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