Slacker

by Gordon Korman

Overview

Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It's not too hard for him to get away with it . . . until he gets so caught up in one game that he almost lets his house burn down around him.

Oops.

It's time for some serious damage control--so Cameron and his friends invent a fake school club that will make it seem like they're doing good deeds instead of slacking off. The problem? Some kids think the club is real--and Cameron is stuck being president.

Soon Cameron is part of a mission to save a beaver named Elvis from certain extinction. Along the way, he makes some new friends--and some powerful new enemies. The guy who never cared about anything is now at the center of everything . . . and it's going to take all his slacker skills to win this round.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545823159
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/26/2016
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,008,242
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Lexile:	710L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Gordon Korman is the beloved author of over one hundred novels for young readers, including hilarious middle-grade classics such as the Macdonald Hall series, I Want to Go Home, and Slacker. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Gordon grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, and now lives in New York with his family. Visit him online at www.gordonkorman.com.

Editorial Reviews

03/07/2016
In this highly entertaining tale from Korman (Masterminds), eighth grader Cam Boxer lives for playing video games with his two best friends. When he ignores his mother's dinner instructions while playing, resulting in the fire department breaking down the door and a house that smells like burnt ziti, Cam's parents' threats of pulling the plug on his gaming push him to create a fictitious school club. Cam's goal with the Positive Action Group is to mollify his parents without actually doing anything, so he's horrified when students and faculty latch on to the concept and club. Cam's irritation with the club's popularity provides lots of laughs (" ‘Well, I'm the president,' I grumbled, ‘and I still say that the Positive Action Group doesn't exist' ") as the story unfolds via the perspectives of multiple amusing characters, including classmate Daphne, who wants to save a homeless beaver; Mr. Fanshaw, a guidance counselor who feels that his hour has finally come; and Jennifer, an ultra-achieving high school student who feels threatened by Cam's club's success. Upbeat, inspiring, and full of Korman's signature sense of humor. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2016
Gr 4–7—Korman's many fans will not be disappointed with this latest novel. Cameron is a gamer; he doesn't like to do anything else. Spending every moment he can playing video games, he sometimes gets carried away. This is how the kitchen burns down and he loses his gaming privileges. His parents decide he needs to get involved in a group and interact with other kids his own age. So he and his friends create the Positive Action Group as a front so they can simply continue gaming. Things get hairy when people become interested in actually joining the group and it gets a faculty advisor. Suddenly the fake group has become very real. Korman has a talent for writing engaging characters in wacky, laugh-out-loud plotlines. This story is told through multiple perspectives, though it is Cameron who stands out. He talks and acts like a real gamer, lending the high jinks an undercurrent of authenticity. As the Positive Action Group becomes real, things begin to change for Cameron as he learns the value in helping others. VERDICT Short chapters and chuckle-inducing moments give this book a charm that is hard to resist. An excellent pick for reluctant readers.—Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence, RI

School Library Journal

2016-02-02
What could get the "Leonardo da Vinci of slackers" off his gaming couch? Thirteen-year-old Cameron Boxer's worked hard on his "lifestyle": minimal effort at school and maximum time perfecting his gaming skills. His goal? Winning the Rule the World tournament with one of his two best friends, technical genius Pavel or loyal Chuck…but they have to avoid Evil McKillPeople, a Canadian gamer who for some reason has it in for Cam. Then the Great Ziti Inferno (Cam was too busy playing to take the ziti out of the oven as instructed) causes Cam's parents to insist he unplug and do something with his life. The friends cook up a fake club, the Positive Action Group. They make Cam president and put a page on the school's website, attracting the attention of do-gooder Daphne, who wants to save a beaver, class-president candidate Jordan, who needs a leg up in the election, along with reprobates and jocks who need to do community service. Suddenly the fake club is real, doing actual good, and sucking up valuable game time; that was never the plan! Prolific Korman turns in another group caper that would fit easily in his Swindle series. Cam's borderline unlikable, and a few in the supporting cast don't act like real people; but the tale, narrated by Cam and several others, is a pleasant diversion, though it's not notable for its diversity. Korman's fans will be right at home with this stand-alone novel. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Swindle:"Scary, funny, and hysterical adventures!" — Chicago Tribune"Pure fun from top to bottom." — School Library JournalPraise for The Hypnotists:"Fast-paced . . . an entertaining mix of intense action and goofy fun." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Ungifted:"A gem for readers looking for a book where the underdog comes out on top." — Voice of Youth Advocates"Funny and insightful." — Publishers WeeklyPraise for Schooled:* "This rewarding novel features an engaging main character and some memorable moments of comedy, tenderness, and reflection." — Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher