SLACKER BY GORDON KORMAN

 

I absolutely love funny books and I think my favorite comedy writer is Gordon Korman. Every time I read one of his novels I end up laughing out loud at almost every page. My favorite Gordon Korman book has been Restart, which is about a bully who gets amnesia and can’t figure out why he was so mean to people. Ms Fair ordered a few of Korman’s books for us this fall and the first one I picked up is Slacker. I can be very lazy, so I figured this would be the perfect book for me! The other thing that drew me in was the cover image of a beaver reclining with a game controller and a bowl of Doritos. The book more than lived up to its cover; Slacker is now my favorite Gordon Korman book!

Slacker follows Cam, who thinks he has perfected the art of slacking. He does just well enough in school that he can slide under the radar and he can focus on what’s really important: playing his video game with his friends. But when the fire department ends up on his doorstep because he ignored his mother’s request to turn off the stove his parents tell him he has to join at least one after school activity. Cam and his gaming friends decide to invent a fake group called PAG, the Positive Action Group. However, the club catches the eye of Daphne, a super organized and ambitious student who actually wants to make a difference. Suddenly, Cam and his friends have to keep up the act while juggling Daphne’s energy, their own laziness, and the hilarious chaos that comes from pretending to be do-gooders. Between fake meetings, ridiculous schemes, and Cam trying to avoid real work, the story is full of laugh-out-loud moments that will keep you turning pages. As a bonus you get to see Cam grow throughout the book. I just realized there’s a sequel to Slacker and I’m so excited to follow more of Cam’s adventures!