Charlie Jackson's Guide to Not Reading Lesson
Author 27 books 132 followers
I wrote it, therefore I love it.
9 reviews 2 followers
Do you not like to read and want an idea on how to get out of it? Well then, you should read Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to NOT Reading. I should warn you not to take any of his advice, because what happened to him might happen to you. This is a dramatic fictional story. There were times in the story that I felt very emotional, mad, sad, shocked. I will talk more about this in the third paragraph, but for now, a summary.
This story is about a boy who hates, I repeat HATES reading, a lot. The story mostly takes place in Charlie Joe's middle school, and sometimes in his home. Charlie Joe goes to the extreme with not reading, by paying his friend, Timmy, with ice cream bars just so that he will read the books that are assigned in class, for him. They do this for seven years. ***SPOILER ALERT*** They both get caught because Timmy told his mom about what they have been doing. When this fails and Charlie Joe needs to right a report on any topic of his choice, he asks his friend, Jake, to read his books in exchange for going out with the girl Charlie Joe is in love with. Ouch. ***END OF SPOILER ALERT*** This book is person vs person and person vs thing, or in other words, Charlie Joe vs Timmy, the principle, his parents, books, etc. Oh ya, I almost forgot to mention, the conflict is that Charlie Joe doesn't want to read, has someone else do it for him, and then gets in trouble. This is the problem because you can see that this is not good.
Ok. So I bet you have been waiting for this part of my review, my opinion. Get ready, because I am taking up two whole paragraphs just to tell you my opinion on this book. I felt emotional because in the story, Charlie Joe really likes Hannah Spivero, but you know how it is. You can love someone so much, but they don't like you back. (Heart breaks.) Charlie Joe has been in love, yes in love with her for about seven years. ***SPOILER ALART*** Charlie is going to write his report on why cliques are bad, so he has Jake, a geek, date Hannah, creative, popular, so that people can see that people from different cliques can date. This works and when it is time for Charlie Joe to present his paper, Hannah stood up, and told the class that she really likes Jake and then kissed his cheek in front of the whole class and teachers. So I was of course surprised. I was telling myself that if that ever happened to me, I would faint, and I have never fainted before. I even practiced my faint. I stood up and acted like the guy I liked just walked up to my friend and kissed her on the cheek. I was down so fast it was as if someone was rolling their pencil on their desk, trying to move it so that it wouldn't fall, (I know you know that game. Everyone has played it,) and then it falls so fast. Woo. I dropped. So that is why this book had me emotional. DROPPED!
This is my other opinion on the book. I choose the subject of, why in the world would you have someone else read for you, that is just laziness. I mean all you have to do is unlock a part of your brain that has nothing on it, then just have the words from the book fill it up. Science! Anyway Charlie Joe bribes 2, not just 1, but 2 people to read for him. When I was reading this I was like, "Oh my gosh, you're kidding me right." Then he did it the second time and I was like, "Charlie! What is wrong with you. Do you not see the decisions you are making. Come on!" I may not understand this because I like reading, I mean love reading, but really cheating like that. This got me so disappointed. Ok, I am done with my opinions. I have told you what my opinion on some subjects. Now for the final paragraph.
I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars, because even though it was emotional, I love reading, and I think everyone should. I just liked it, I'm not saying I hated it, I just liked it. That is it. I would recommend this book to nonreaders, so that they can see what can happen if they do not read, and end up cheating instead. In conclusion, the only thing I am going to say to you is, a book is a magical adventure.
Author 4 books 37 followers
CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING by Tommy Greenwald (Roaring Brook Press/July 2011 ) for middle grade readers is about Charlie Joe, a reluctant reader, whose cool-dude reputation is centered around the fact that he's never read an entire book from cover to cover. An advanced copy of CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING arrived in my mailbox along with a towering pile of vacation mail. As I scattered bills and letters across the kitchen counter, I realized I couldn't start a new book—I had several pieces of luggage to unload, stacks of laundry to wash, children to feed, and pets to attend. I was also 85% (Kindlespeak) into another book. With a cluster of beckoning priorities, a guide to NOT reading seemed safe in my hands. I knew itwould be harmless to peruse the first few pages of the "guide" as I walked from the kitchen to my upstairs bedroom. My intention was to set the ARC on my nightstand and save it for another day. But in the 47 steps it took to travel the distance from room to room, I had read to chapter four. It was quick. It was easy. Another few pages wouldn't hurt. Yep, I was hooked. The combination of short chapters, fun fonts, and a breezy/amusing plot suckered me into flipping page after page with a sense of accomplishment. Charlie Joe should be ashamed if his intention is to get people to not read, because read I did. He packs the book with humor and he stuffs it with tips like, "don't care about the main character" but then compels you to worry what will happen to him following utter humiliation, dire consequences, and yet another crazy scheme. Author Tommy Greenwald nails the middle school voice in CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING. His tip lists are hilarious (helpful oxymorons-- "good book" "nice library") and his descriptions are spot-on middle school: i.e. The Amish: "[People who] deny themselves basic necessities like cars, electricity, and Game Boy." CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO NOT READING cannot be discussed without making a Wimpy Kid reference. Fans of one story will be fans of the other. There was also a little High School Musical drama moment in the story, but as Charlie Joe's sister would say, I'll leave that for you to read and discover. With lists, tips, plot points, and good intentions, Charlie Joe attempts to stay true to his premise: to deliver a guide to not reading. He did his best, but I read cover to cover and rate this book a 4 out of 5. It was not preachy or teachy, but instead light, fun, creative and (dare I use a Charlie Joe oxymoron) one fun read! Available in July 2011 from Roaring Brook Press (an imprint of Macmillan Children's Publishing Group) $14.99. ISBN 978-1 59643 691-6 .
- middle-grade
944 reviews 57 followers
I won this is a Goodreads First Read. Yay! As a middle school teacher, I found this book funny and appealing. There are times when Charlie's comments sound a bit too much like the comments of an adult who is a good kid-watcher, but overall his voice is well done. I gave it three stars instead of four for a reason that won't apply to most people. Over 50% of my kids are Latino, and like the excellent "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie" this book is so entrenched in white, middle class culture that much of its appeal will be lost on them. Sure, many kids can relate to hating reading, liking a girl who isn't interested, and, yes, the humor of throwing basketballs at your friends' "groinal region," but overall the world Charlie lives in is the world of my nephews, not the world of my students. But the book itself is well written, engaging, and I look forward to seeing the published version with illustrations.
- young-adult
Author 8 books 2,135 followers
The unreliable narrator. It's a staple of adult literature, and a relative newcomer to the world of children's lit. Even books for teens are more likely to sport these first person ne'er-do-wells than titles for the 9-12 set. It can be done mind you, but it's tricky territory, made all the trickier if the narrator is always being on the up and up with the reader. I think the closest you can usually get to an honest-to-goodness unreliable character is something like Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading. With a title that baffles child readers even as it intrigues them, author Tommy Greenwald conjures up a charming, befuddled hero who's steadfast refusal to pick up and enjoy a book leads him to illogical extremes and the ultimate punishment. Let's be clear. Charlie Joe Jackson is a charming guy. If you met him you'd probably like him. Lots of people do, and why not? This is a kid who has figured out what it is he wants out of life and goes for it. Take reading. Charlie hates it. Couldn't dislike it more. So over the years he and his friend Timmy have set up a nice little arrangement. Timmy will read books for Charlie if in exchange he can get free ice cream sandwiches. Everything's going beautifully until the day Timmy destroys Charlie's sweet scheme. Caught, Charlie finds himself facing a huge school project with a ton of reading on the horizon. He has a plan to get out of it, but it hinges on setting up the girl of his dreams with the class nerd. Can Charlie keep himself from reading from here on in? And do we even want him to? It hadn't occurred to me until I presented this book to a reading group I run for kids, but Charlie Joe Jackson may qualify as a notebook novel. Notebook novels are those books for kids that spring either directly or inadvertently out of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid craze. They look like notebooks/diaries/journals/etc. and contain eclectic combinations of art and text. Of course, there can be miscommunications. One kid I handed this to informed me that she didn't like "guides". She was under the impression, I guess, that this 224-page book was a step-by-step instructional tome on how not to pick up a book. Logic doesn't quite enter into that one, so I'll let it go. In any case, she was happy enough when she learned that rather than rote lists, there's an engaging story as well. The initial image of Charlie Joe as drawn by J.P. Coovert did a lot to help, I think. On the title page is Charlie Joe changing the title from a guide TO reading to a guide to NOT reading. They thought that was a stitch. Ultimately, in terms of the storytelling what we're dealing with here is a tale about a long con gone wrong. This book has more in common with Chris Rylander's The Fourth Stall than your average kid-in-school fare. And because it's a con game tale there's an interesting balance throughout this book of Charlie Joe: Nice Guy VS. Charlie Joe: Cheater. What's interesting about his character is that even as he does wrong he's a nice guy. Likes his sister. Has a best friend who's a girl. Isn't into the super hot popular girl in his class because he likes someone else. He just sort of has this tendency to want to cheat on reading. No biggie, right? Kids might even come to see his side after reading his origin story. Inevitably the adult readers of this book might wonder if Charlie Joe has some form of dyslexia or other problem with words, but I don't think so. It seems clear that if the will is there, Charlie will read. He's just short of will. Funny too, though funny books rarely get much credit. I at least was amused by advice like "Charlie Joe's Tip #2: Never read a book by someone whose name you can't pronounce" since it follows up that tip with the line "Let's face it: chances are you wouldn't be reading this book if it were called Venedkyt Styokierwski's Guide to Not Reading". Point. Though, thinking about it, Jon Scieszka would be out to sea too and I suspect that he's the kind of guy Charlie Joe could really dig. And the advice on how to look like a reader without being one is classic. I'm particularly fond of "Make your local library's website the homepage on your computer." That's classic. It plays fair too. Kids can sniff out a false morality lesson a mile away, and if it rings untrue forget about it. They'll never forgive you. Without giving anything away, let me just say that the last page of this book is "Charlie Joe's Tip #25: When Finishing a Book Never Look at It Again". Heck, there's even a part earlier in the book where Charlie Joe acknowledges this classic book trope and rejects it outright. When forced to actually read he points out that at this point in the book he should technically have a change of heart. "I had discovered the joys of reading and storytelling and the characters spoke to me, and not only did I want to read more books, I wanted to move into the library." Instead, he tells the reader that while he's sure the book's author is a swell fella and his mom is proud of him, "no matter how nice a guy and how successful an author Ted Hauser is, I'm pretty sure that doesn't give him the right to ruin my life." Granted later in the book there is a moment when Charlie inadvertently finds himself applying something he read to a real life situation but it's really the reader, not Charlie himself, who becomes aware that reading may have a purpose beyond the occasional school assignment. Reluctant readers, bane of the nation, are the target audience here. Will they like the book? Well, there's lots to be said for short chapters and a hero who's on their side. Pictures don't hurt matters much either. Greenwald could have turned this into a preachy tract, saying something about how assigned reading in schools sucks the fun out of books and turns legions of children into non-readers every year. That's true and a good lesson but I appreciate that instead his non-reader comes by his non-reading honestly. Like a lot of kids, he just never took to it. All in all it's a great little book (and I say that in spite of Charlie Joe's rousing/baffling endorsement of The Giving Tree). This is definitely the book to hand those The Strange Case of Origami Yoda fans out there who are looking for more, and it'll probably satisfy non-non-readers as well. Book haters of the world, your spokesman is here. For ages 9-12.
12 reviews 4 followers
*Spoil Alert * This story is about a boy who hates reading and still manages to get through life without even reading an entire book cover to cover.The words and phrases that are in the book are used today.The setting takes place in middle school were most of the conflict start to happen.Charlie Joe Jackson goes to his friend (Timmy) for help and exchange he has to get him two ice cream sandwiches.This was a deal that's been going on for a long time but this time it wasn't going to happen because Timmy said,"No".And Charlie really need someone to read the book for him for this report he needs to do in school. The conflict is person vs person because Charlie Joe Jackson has to face his teacher forgiving him the report to do and timmy who just decides not to help but the main thing that that Charlie has to face is "BOOKS". I was suprised when i started to read this book because this book is about how to get out of reading and the only way to do is by reading,weird twist isn't it.My favorite part about reading this book is was that it took place in middle school and i think that the author choose this setting because he is trying to relet to us that even middle schoolers still dont enjoy reading and maybe there was a message to the story saying that books could get you somewhere in life and if you don't enjoy reading it will catch up to you and in this case Charlie Joe Jackson's book's caught up to him. I had predicted that charile joe jackson would still not injoy reading because his whole point was how to get out of reading and he is giving the readers tips on how to not read, but then it turned out he had a liking to reading.And that was a major event that change the the character point of view.and now that i think about it ,it was also the main character promble. I would read this book a five because I really love the twist in the story and I find this book really humorous and interesting and I think that it didn't deserve anything below a five because it was everything I was looking for something I could relate to and something that will make me laugh. I would recommend this book to someone who hates reading but wants to find a book that will make them like reading.
Do you hate reading?If you answered yes then Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to not reading is a perfect book for you. This is a realistic fiction mixed with comedy that will have you laughing until it hurts.
126 reviews 27 followers
Charlie Joe Jackson is an avid non-reader. He has never read a book cover to cover, and he's proud of it. (Except for The Giving Tree. Which has, like, sixty-two words in it.) This book will inspire all reluctant readers in their efforts to avoid the written word, and give helpful tips on how to do it. The great thing about this book is that it will satisfy both the middle-school reader and his/her parents, which is a thing wondrous and rare. On the one hand, Charlie is actually a nice, funny, "good" kid, one whom said parents would approve of their son being friends with. He's got his heart in the right place, and he's not stupid or a slacker or "too cool for school" either. He's just not a reader. There's no bad language or smoking or drugs and very little middle-school-boy level humor, and Charlie gets his "just desserts" (that is, grounding) very thoroughly when he needs it. On the other hand, he still acts like a kid and not a model of everything that parents tell their kids they should be and that the kids, in turn, want to beat up after school, and there's plenty of humor and snarkiness and avoiding schoolwork, and there's no obnoxious, patronizing moral at the end. No "And so I discovered the joys of books and spent the rest of my days making up for all the time I could have been spending reading." Nothing is more likely to turn kids off, and really, hopeless book addict though I am, it would have turned me off, too. I am slightly conflicted about the rating, which is not usual for me. My impulse is to give it four stars for "I really like it," but I can't quite trust my own opinion till the end-of-book afterglow goes away. It wasn't life-changing, but I don't regret the time I spent reading it, either--which is just further proof that I am not this book's intended audience. (The initial proof being that I read it at all and am now writing a review about it on goodreads.) Maybe I'll come back in a few weeks and change it to four stars. If I forget to do that, then I guess it really was just a three star.
- reviewed
Author 3 books 709 followers
I struggle with bokos that are focused on kids being slackers and not like reading. Diary of a Wimpy Kid is not my favorite (Is that a nice enough way of saying that I dislike it very much?). Recently, I read the James Patterson book "Middle School: The Worst Years of my Life" and it kind of falls into the same category of "Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to not Reading". I am sure that these books can do a decent job of getting reluctant boys to read, but at times I wonder if they do more damage than good. Will they make kids want to read more, or will they just help kids complain about why other books suck so much? I'm not sure. I enjoyed Charlie Joe, and in my mind, it is a lot better than Patterson's book. I am interested to see how Tommy Greenwald follows this book. That might effect how I feel about Charlie. (Not sure if any of this makes sense)
- mg-novel
There were sine helpful tips in here but I won't use them anytime soon.
Are you not a big fan about reading? This book is for you. Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide To Not Reading, literally had some "facts" (excuses to not read) in the book that probably every kid has tried to say to parents and or teachers. I enjoyed this book more than I expected. If you don't read, take a chance and read this book! This is a realistic fiction book that like I said, has humor in it and life lessons. I recommend this book to those non-readers and just anyone in general. The setting of my book takes place in Charlie's middle school and at other times at home. Charlie Joe absolutely hates reading, he'll do anything to get out of reading. He's practically made it through his whole life without actually reading a book from the beginning to the end. Charlie has made a deal with his friend, Timmy for quite awhile now, Timmy reads the book for him and comes back with a brief summary of what happened, in return for some ice cream sandwiches from which Charlie buys him. Except, when a major book report was due in just a few days or so, Charlie has a little chat with Eliza, who claims to be the most popular girl there, from that chat everyone somehow finds out about Charlie's and Timmy's arrangement and even Charlie's parents find out. Oops! Things don't end up good, eventually Timmy stops doing what Charlie tells him. Now, he's in some major trouble.. Desperate for help, events start to occur, such as lying, betrayal, and even broken hearts. Will all this trouble convince Charlie to read? Or will he continue to avoid reading and basically get in trouble every now and then? Everything starts building up to the point where Charlie is alone and well, runs out of tips from all that has occurred. Then, it's the end of the school year and a "position paper" is due (a book report) and now he gets Jake, who happens to be quite a nerd, to read the books for him, in return of Charlie paring him up with his "never to be girlfriend," Hannah, but will his plan work in order for him to write a successful paper? The type of conflict is person vs person because he needs to now face his friends, his parents and teacher about the truth, or will he be able to get away with it by lying..? I absolutely enjoyed reading this book! I loved the way the main character, Charlie, expressed his feelings towards books. He would never lie about it, he'd just kind of straight up tell you why he was never much of a reader. Charlie would give out tips such as, "you can go to the movies and still read." From the sound of that, you can honestly tell he tries and thinks he's reading by what, reading the credits at the end? His tips aren't so great by the way, but it's full of humor to see how he describes his feelings towards reading that it makes me want to keep reading, a little humor in a book is needed. Also, I'd say Charlie's main problem here was not the fact that he didn't have an interest for books, but he thought they are too long, boring, and there's no point, honestly it's just being lazy. Well, in his case laziness seemed to be his main problem, but I mean I'm pretty sure most of us were too lazy to read a book or think, "this book is too boring," or "345 pages, that's a lot." It's just that this book is filled with lots of exciting, sad, and honest moments. I can relate to Charlie because when I was around let's say 9 or 10, reading was boring to me. I'd to whatever to get out of reading. So while I read this book I just kind of kept thinking, "wow, I remember this being me." I will admit I wasn't a huge fan of reading, I disliked it, reading isn't a hobby of mine, but nor do I dislike it. You kind of just have to find your interests in books, but Charlie still refuses to read, but yes indeed I can honestly say, I was Charlie when I was younger. I liked the way the author made this book simple yet brilliant. Even though this book was about 200 pages, I found it short since the chapters were short and little sketches were in it too. One major reason why I enjoyed this book and the way the author wrote it was because we got to see the kids point of view, what he thought about reading, not a teachers, parents, or any adult, just the perspective of a middle schooler and maybe that's why certain people might be able to understand, and enjoy the book more. I'd give this book a 4 out of 5 stars because even though I was really into the book, it wasn't the best I've read. I say a few more details would be needed during some of the chapters but in the end, I'd read this book again. I recommend this book to people who might not enjoy reading, I think this book is great, probably an easy read and understandable. Who knows maybe you'll end up actually liking the book, and end up using some of his tips.. (Not the greatest idea though..)
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Charlie Jackson's Guide to Not Reading Lesson
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