Jack on the Tracks: Four Seasons of Fifth Grade by Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos is back with more on the ever-moving Jack Henry and his family. This time, Jack gets to accompany his dad in the moving truck, and he can’t wait to see what adventures they’ll encounter on the way to Miami. The drive is long, and mostly uneventful, but there is a great moment at a truck stop. Jack’s dad says that truck stops are so great because you get a lot of good food for very little money. Jack’s dad orders a gigantic, $50 steak — but only because it will be free if he can eat it in less than an hour. I thought it would be a lesson in not taking on too big of a project, but it was just the opposite. Jack’s dad taught him that you can do anything if you put your mind to it! That is just what Jack needed to hear, and now he is inspired to start collecting all the life lessons his dad can offer. Complete with scrapbook-style illustrations of what Jack presses into his notebook, this book is sometimes gross, but always amusing. Keep a trash can nearby, though, when you read his short story on tapeworms!

Happy Reading!

Heads or Tails: Stories from the Sixth Grade by Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos writes so well… I just fall into his stories, and I always get disappointed when they end. It’s almost as if I wish that the story would never end! Of course, that would make it even harder to keep up with my reading list, but there is never enough time to read. What’s a librarian to do?!?

In this story, Jack is (obviously!) in the 6th grade. He is struggling with his horrible handwriting — because of a teacher who won’t cut him a break over it. His older sister is always making fun of him — for believing in and trying to contact UFOs. And he is constantly getting into trouble for being careless — because his little brother always manages to get hurt when Jack is supposed to be watching him. Jack has a secret crush on a classmate, and is running from another classmate’s convict of an older brother. To put it bluntly, his life is certainly not boring! If you want to learn more about what it’s like to be Jack, you’ve got to read this book!

Happy reading!

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

I am not sure if Jack Gantos wrote this because he has ADHD or if he knows someone with ADHD, but he was very accurate in how he described a lot of the mannerisms and behaviors of kids who are “wired” like Joey Pigza… I have taught many children with varying degrees of ADHD, and I saw a little bit of all of them in Joey… I also think that story is great for explaining the trial-and-error aspect of ADHD medications and the specialized testing that is sometimes involved with an ADHD diagnosis… For that reason alone, I think this would be an excellent book for a child with ADD or ADHD, or even for his/her classmates who are trying to understand him/her…

I do have to admit that I was a little disturbed by some of the content of the story — like the Grandmother who tried to put Joey in the fridge for a “time out” and treated him like a dog at times — but, I suppose that there may also be children out there who have to deal with adults who are “wired” as well… Overall, though, I think that the story was a pretty good read…

Happy Reading!