Adam Canfield Watch Your Back!

by Michael Winerip

Overview

"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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763644123
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	08/11/2009
Series:	Adam Canfield Series , #2
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	352
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.80(d)
Lexile:	730L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

 

Editorial Reviews

In short, the book is excellent—funny and charming, with occasional flashes of big-league beauty that are way more than its junior high school audience deserves, but let's give it to them anyway.
—The New York Times

Rich Cohen

Gr 5-7- The Slash , the newspaper of Harris Elementary/Middle School, and its co-editors, Adam and Jennifer, are back for more intrigue and mystery in this novel (Candlewick, 2007) by Michael Winerip. After being mugged for his snow-shoveling money, Adam becomes the inspiration for an article focusing on bullying. Adam tries to redirect his investigative skills to other issues facing not just their school, but also their town. With stories about a 300-year-old climbing tree in jeopardy of being cut down, the "un-fair" Science Fair, and a mysterious plot to flatten a poorer, African-American part of the town to make way for mini-mansions, Adam and the staff of the newspaper take on some very powerful adults to uncover deeply hidden truths. Narrator Patrick Girard Lawlor brings each character to life with subdued voicing and pacing. The tense moments between Adam, Jennifer, and the adults are realistically conveyed. A good choice for school and public libraries.-Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public, NY

School Library Journal

Intrepid middle-school reporter Adam Canfield and his annoyingly efficient co-editor, Jennifer, are back for another year of publishing their school newspaper, The Slash. Pulitzer Prize-winner Winerip (the New York Times) draws from his reporting expertise to set up several intriguing stories for Adam to cover, from a particularly nasty teacher to the unscrupulous woman who essentially owns his town, with some bullies thrown in. 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. (Fiction. YA)

Kirkus Reviews

In this hilarious sequel to ADAM CANFIELD OF THE SLASH, the fourth-grade reporter faces some heavy issues at Harris Elementary/Middle School. Adam is mugged for his snow-shoveling money, tackles science fair fairness, and battles a zoning commissioner. Narrator Patrick Lawlor readily transforms from smarmy school administrator and menacing media mogul to earnest, often ineffectual adults. ("Do grownups live on the same planet?") The squeaky, slightly hysterical third-grade reporter, Phoebe, butts heads with the slow-voiced, pedantic Theodore, and other middle schoolers are equally well defined. Potentially heavy-handed exposition on journalistic integrity is smoothly conveyed in interviews between Adam and a gruff-voiced war correspondent turned Mr. Mom. Musical intros add to the presentation. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

FEB/MAR 08 - AudioFile