Adam Canfield, Watch Your Back!

"Lots of laugh-out-loud humor, perfectly satirizing state tests, overzealous parents, and kids who are in danger of being enriched to death." — School and Library Journal

For overprogrammed middle-grader Adam Canfield, waking up to a snow day is a dream come true — a chance to sleep late, put off planning the next issue of The Slash, and make some quick cash with his shovel. But the dream turns into a nightmare when some high-school kids mug Adam for his shoveling money. Then not only does the media blast the embarrassing story, but Adam’s own co-editors plan a contest outing bullies at their school. In a second look behind the scenes at a middle school newspaper, Michael Winerip deftly blends kid-friendly humor with some provocative issues, including the subtle effects of class and racism and the thrill that comes from speaking truth to power."Plenty of wry humor combined with pre-adolescent angst, a too-full schedule and tricky interviews keep both Adam and readers tripping along through the narrative. Winerip throws in some sage advice from a famous reporter to keep Adam on his toes, and perhaps to interest some young readers in journalism. The comedy gives way to some nice insights into the real abilities of a mentally handicapped boy and the pride of the poor. A variety of investigations takes up Adam’s time, all the while keeping readers smiling." —Kirkus Reviews