Freddy vs. School by Neill Cameron

The Hook: 

Freddie’s mom says he must go to regular school to learn things the human way. That is not going to be easy for Freddie who is a robot. He feels that school does not allow him to be his awesome self especially when the principal banned him from using his robot powers! Dang! All because he was playing catch. Don’t the teachers understand? He HAD to turn on his rocket boosters to catch the ball and stay in the game. It wasn’t his fault he could not stop himself before crashing into the teachers’ lounge. His powers are just too magnificent! Now the principal says if he uses his superstrength, he will be expelled. Ugh! 

Freddy is feeling insecure-if he does not use his powers will anyone really like him? He will not be the cool kid that everyone wants to hang out with. Who is he if he does not use his lasers sometimes? Just some boring ol’ kid. Double Ugh! 

Freddy decides to use his powers for GOOD—like he will save the new kid Rihad from the school bully, Henrik. Then the teachers will see how great his superpowers are for the whole school and they will allow him to use them any time he wants. But things do not go as planned. What happens? You will have to read the book to find out. 

This hilarious book is in our library. It is also in Sora as an eBook. It is 3 AR points. 

My Thoughts and Recommendations (Careful! There Could Be Spoilers): 

This book surprised me in how much I loved it! It is laugh-out-loud funny! I know the kids will love it. Besides being funny it is a journal-style novel with pictures and sketches in the margins. It is also only 216 pages, so it is a quick read with lots of action. Perfect for Reluctant Readers.  

I also liked how Freddy feels insecure but works through his feelings. I believe kids this age will be able to relate. He learns to embrace his differences and be proud of himself. 

A super fun book! I recommend it for 3rd-7th grade. 4.7 stars! It is the first in a series of 2.