Those of you who have been having a tough time this summer with your parents constantly telling you to read a book, here is a book that will strike a chord with you.

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Summer Vacation by Tommy Greenwald is a story about a boy who hates reading but has to endure three weeks of summer in an academic summer camp aptly named Camp Rituhbukkee (pronounced “read-a-bookie”), where workshops on everything to do with reading fills the days of campers who love reading. Charlie is the odd one out but he is determined to find a way out of all the reading and writing activities he has to endure, and at the same time try his best to dissuade others from doing it.

Unintentionally, in his attempt to distract others from books, he ends up reading a book and surprisingly liking it too. And while we see Charlie only caring for himself in the beginning and becoming friends with other campers for his own selfish reasons, he ends up caring and doing things for his new friends.

The episode about the basketball match is very interesting, as he happens to be the best player from his camp’s side, because all the rest are bookworms, and he cooks up a very smart plan to feed so much pizza to the opponent’s captain that the poor kid can’t play.

Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Summer Vacation is realistic fiction, written from a child’s point of view that young readers can easily relate to.

The writer has presented most of the characters as well-rounded, with both their strengths and weaknesses on display, but without any judgemental comments. Thank goodness there are no preachy messages being constantly repeated as Greenwald leaves the readers to form their own opinions about things.

The pace is fast, the tone witty and the plot very engaging. The book is the third in the Charlie Joe Jackson series but this is the first book from it that I have read, and it really makes no difference to the reading pleasure of this one. Recommended for eight to 12 year olds, but adults, like myself, will enjoy it too.

Published in Dawn, Young World, July 13th, 2019