La Guia De Charlie Joe Jackson Para No Leer = Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
"Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading" by Tommy Greenwald is a a book about Charlie Joe Jackson who wanted to get through all of MS without reading a single book. He did this by giving his friend Timmy and Ice-Cream Sandwich and in return Timmy would tell him what the book is about. His plan was perfect until someone ratted him out. So he has to start to start reading, but since he hate's reading he finds another way around this. In the end he manages to go through till the end of the year without reading a single book. In the end though his friend that helped him accidentally told everyone that he read his books for him so he gets in huge trouble and has to write an 150 page book.Themes:FriendshipTrust Charlie Joe Jackson, surprisingly, doesn't like to read. I had different reasons for not reading as much as I could back in my teens and before. They're less cheerful than Charlie's, and I want to bring this up mainly because I think this book strikes the right tone for pushing aside reasons not to read. In fact, this book actually got me back to reading when I was in a rut. So it works for adults, too!Charlie is obviously not stupid, and he's very observant, but he certainly has trouble facing his fears. I like how he never seems to cross over into full fledged smart aleck, but he does ask questions I figured I had better not ask as a kid.And overall this book is true to Charlie's aesthetic (which is a fancy way of saying, it says a lot of interesting stuff without getting highfaluting or preachy like most boring books Charlie knows or thinks he knows) and mixes things up with lists and super-short chapters and things I imagine can keep others' attention. So it feels like sketch-comedy TV, but at the same time it's focused.Though the ending is legitimately Not Perfect, it's still funny, and after reading CJJGtNR, I was able to forgive myself a bit more for not reading as much as I could. I know I felt adults/older students nagged me a lot with "do you Identify With Holden Caulfield or whomever" and "you really should, you know" and this book kind of gets around that and maintains a lot of innocence while still discussing fears and how to achieve your potential.Geez, Charlie would hate that last sentence. I don't blame him. But hey, this is only a review written quickly in response to the book. Because though I had to say something, I also really wanted to get to Tommy Greenwald's next Charlie book.
What do You think about La Guia De Charlie Joe Jackson Para No Leer = Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading (2011)?
There's a freshness to this story I just couldn't resist and I think many a kid will feel the same. I came across the title while looking for another book on reluctant readers and my curiosity was piqued. Now that I have a much better sense of the research behind what motivates kids to read and what gets in the way it is a lot of fun to read Greenwald's creative and authentic account of a very cagey, very reluctant reader and recognize the factors that get in the way. In fact, as I sat in a training for a reading game tonight I watched a boy who could have been Charlie Joe Jackson. Fifth grade or so, cute, fun-loving, smart as the dickens--almost a Bingo Brown, and... not yet a proficient reader. This would make a great readaloud if for no other reason than to change the stereotypical image of the class non-reader. But you don't have to settle. Kids will love the shenanigans and the intrigue of early boy-girl pairings.
—footandcindy
This book was very funny and engaging. I read it to see if I should buy it for my shelves. Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed it, I think it belongs in a middle school library. A lot of references to crushes and dating, and a few mild swear words make it a bit too mature for my K-5 library.The main character is a boy who has never read a book and is very proud of it and wants to continue his streak. He bribes others to read for him. He puts more effort into NOT reading than it would take to read. As you would imagine, it becomes a cautionary tale about the problems in this philosophy. I enjoyed it very much.
—Ella
