Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Extra Credit. By Tom Greenwald. 4 CDs. 4:29 hrs. Brilliance Audio. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4558-0309-5. $49.97.
Gr 5-7–In this followup (2012) to Tom Greenwald’s Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading (2011, both Roaring Brook), a poor report card and a reputation for cutting up in school land Charlie Joe in his middle school counselor’s office. Things go from bad to worse, causing Ms. Ferrell to recommend that Charlie Joe attend “Camp Rituhbukkee,” a summer camp that focuses on academics and reading. Charlie Joe, a self-professed non-reader, is horrified, and he quickly offers a deal. If he gets straight A’s for the last quarter of the school year, he won’t have to attend “Camp Life-is-suckee.” The deal is made and the boy must figure out how to raise his grades. The answer: extra credit. What ensues is a riot of middle-school mayhem, relationship issues, and teacher troubles all rendered hilarious by the author. McLeod Andrews reads with equal parts youthful exuberance and snarky sarcasm. He gets extra credit for turning a fantastic book into an A+ audiobook through his amazing and entertaining cast of character voices. Give this audio (plus the book, with illustrations by J.P. Coovert) to fans of the “Wimpy Kid” series. Even reluctant readers, like Charlie Joe, will be won over by this hilarious take on middle-school life, and will be clamoring for the next title in the series.–Lisa Hubler, Charles F. Brush High School, Lyndhurst, OH
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