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THE HOMEWORK STRIKE by Greg Pincus

THE HOMEWORK STRIKE

by Greg Pincus

Pub Date: Jan. 3rd, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-439-91301-0
Publisher: Levine/Scholastic

In this humorous sequel to The 14 Fibs of Gregory K. (2013), the white seventh-grader realizes that his monstrous amount of homework gobbles all his after-school time, interfering with his writing and the other things he loves to do.

Although not the exceptional student that his older brother and younger sister are, Gregory actually likes school and works hard; immediately after school he and three friends have a homework club. But Gregory has no time to write poems for open mic night at the local bookstore or to work on the book he is writing. Other kids are missing out doing what they love: painting or building websites. Gregory decides that action is needed, and, with the encouragement of his history teacher, his research into the issue leads him to a homework strike and a resulting notoriety as other kids join and a media blitz occurs. Gregory stays respectful but firm, learning a lesson in civic involvement, standing up for what one believes in, and negotiating. Each chapter begins with one of Gregory’s poems. Gregory is a resourceful, likable narrator with kind friends and a supportive family. The absence of racial or cultural clues will lead readers to infer that the principal characters are white.

Readers will be drawn to the anti-homework cause and, while they may well find the realistic resolution disappointingly tame, will enjoy the high jinks along the way.

(Fiction. 9-12)