Did you grow up reading books by Andrew Clements, like his iconic Frindle? I did! This is just one reason I was really excited to check out his latest novel, The Loser’s Club. I was also thrilled to see that The Loser’s Club is actually the name of a club where kids can sit and just silently read. Alec names it The Loser’s Club because he doesn’t actually want that many people to join. He just wants at least one other person to form the club, and then he’s happy to just sit around after school and read for hours. It sounds quite lovely, doesn’t it? I’d have totally joined a club like this as a kid…or even now to be honest!

I think this would be a wonderful book for elementary/middle school readers. It’s easy to read, but it’s also something kids can relate to I think! Alec just wants to spend all his time reading, but he knows that he’ll get in even more trouble if he doesn’t pay attention in class, which is why he starts the club. I thought Alec’s parents were great. They don’t mind Alec reading, but they do push him to do well in school – even making him join the Homework Room at some point. I also really liked Alec’s younger brother – books that show family dynamics are great, especially for younger readers!

There is a crush in the book, but it felt very true to sixth-graders! I know when I was in sixth grade, people were “dating” and everything!

Definitely a fun read – I’d recommend for all ages!

"The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go." - Dr. Seuss

This book was an ode and love letter to childhood reading. An enjoyable read, it is perfectly short, sweet, and great for middle grade readers and for both kids who already read voraciously and those that can't seem to figure what the big deal is?

The big deal, at least to Alec, is that he just can't stop reading because he gets lost in the story and is comforted by knowing what will happen next. It's why he's always getting in trouble and visiting the principal's office more times than he can count. In fact, the teachers have all decided that Alec needs to sit up front in the classroom so that he can be monitored. But his mind still wanders so he really can't catch a break.

That is, until his parents end up working late so he's required to stay after school where he's forced to join a club. But there are no clubs dedicated to reading so he decides to start one on his own, including the word "Losers" in the name so it would deter others from joining.

But the opposite ends up happening and as more kids get wind of Alec's Club, the more they want to join. We also see moments where Alec is growing up and becoming a better person, all because of teachings taught in the books he reads. It almost made me angry for Alec and kids like him because even though the teachers' praised his reading, they also punished him for it - and wouldn't incorporate reading into a school system be the better avenue?

I related so much with Alec as I, too, was a bookworm...sorry, BookHawk! Because Alec and some of the other kids discover that it's okay to stay true to who you are and there's no time to waste on shame. This book is also about being open to different types of people, to be compassionate, to be kind - all great and necessary lessons.

What an enjoyable read The Loser's Club was. I am not sure that this would have ever been a book I would have picked up on my own or that one of my girls wold have and knowing that makes me a bit sad because we would have missed out on something fabulous. So, thank you Random House for scooting this across my desk and into my world.

The Loser's club is one of those books that have a quiet sense of easiness about them. It is a book that you just sit back and enjoy for the sake of the story. It's not action packed, it's not a challenging read, it's not 'emotional' dramatic, it is simply just a great read. I see so much of my oldest and myself in the story of Alec, a boy who just wants to read. I loved his love of the written word, the fact that he reads books he loves over and over, that he lets the stories take him away, that he lives and breathes the words on the pages. I also loved his acceptance of himself. Alec knows who he is and while it may rankle that some people try to tease him about it he never lets it tear him down. He accepts himself and doesn't much care what others think and that is a strong message that our children need to hear. They need to know that being true to themselves is a wonderful thing and that just because someone else doesn't understand it and tries to tease you for it that doesn't make you any less, nor should it make you feel like you need to change to be like everyone else!

As a mother and an avid reader I laughed over Alec's predicament. He has to find a way to balance his love of reading with his responsibilities...it's hard Alec, I know, it is SO hard! But this ingenious boy finds a way to make his reading dreams come true and he does it kindly, elegantly, and respectfully. I think one of my favorite things coming from an adult standpoint is the respect that Andrew weaves through this story. He never makes any of the teachers out to be monsters. He makes them kind, if demanding. He makes the reader realize that the adults aren't trying to be mean or hateful, they are trying to find balance and trying to do what is best (through their knowledge as adults) for Alec and others. Do some rules seem silly to Alec, sure, some of them seemed silly to me. But I loved that Alec didn't make it out as these teachers or his parents being awful, instead he found a way to work with them and maybe a little bit around them.

I also loved the little moments where we see Alec is growing up. He's a sixth grader now. He and his classmates are starting to discover that maybe girls and boys aren't gross cootie laden creatures. It's not in your face, it's not overpowering to the story but recognizing that there is something pretty about a girl in your class or something appealing in a boy is part of growing up and part of this story and I think that Andrew wove that in wonderfully. A younger reader may not pick up on it but a late elementary school or middle school reader might and they might recognize that these new feelings aren't unusual or weird, they are just part of becoming older. Don't get me wrong, this is not a major part of this book. It is ver subtle, just the moments where Alex recognizes a change in the people around him. It isn't a big deal, it simply is and it's truthful and honest to this age group.

The Loser's Club is a wonderful book about finding your way or making it when the need arises. It's about being true to yourself, being open to change. It is about being thoughtful and kind and doing what you love while still taking care of the things you are responsible for. I hope that this will become a staple on teachers classroom bookshelves and in libraries. I can't wait to get it and pass it along to my girls to read!

E ARC from Netgalley.com

Alec is one of those kids who loves to read more than he loves school. It is his solace and refuge, and on the very first day of school, he is sent to the principal's office for reading instead of doing his work in art class. The principal informs him that if he doesn't mend his ways and do better in his classes, she will recommend him for a summer program for study skills. Not wanting to spend six weeks of his summer back in school, Alec does try to pay attention, but there's the problem of after school as well. Both of his parents have gone back to work, and Alec and his brother Luke have to spend three hours in an after school program. At first, this seems like a great idea. Alec will just read quietly in a corner. That's not good enough for the program director, who informs him he will have to do his homework in the designated center, join in Active Games, or join a club. After some problems with his former friends David and Kent, Alec decides to create his own club and try to limit it to people who want to sit and read quietly. He finds another member, Nina, and is secretly pleased that he can talk to a girl and have her seem interested, but there is someone else who would like Nina's attention-- Kent. Kent is a great athlete who enjoys making fun of Alec, and he undermines the Loser's Club as much as he can. Eventually, though, the three actually discuss the problems that they are having with each other and come to a tenuous understanding. The Loser's Club continues to grow, and even Alec realizes that while reading is a great thing to do, it's not the only way he wants to spend his time.

Clements is the undisputed master of the school story, but this book also made me realize that there is a delightful new trend in middle grade literature. More and more, we are seeing children who are having trouble relating to friends, talking to the other gender, struggling in school, or trying to work their way through typical middle school problems... and they have support and actually do the right thing! Is this circling back to the 1950s, when all of the children were models of good behavior? Not at all. Alec isn't perfect. He promises his parents he will bring his grades up, but after a while, they drop. He is mean to a boy who wants to join the club, but when Nina calls him on it, he apologizes!

The fantastic thing about this is that children really do look to books for clues on how they should act. It's hard to know how to handle certain situations, but if they can see positive examples in literature, it's bound to help. Kent and Alec's relationship is extremely well portrayed. Kent is a stereotypical bully in some ways, but in many ways, he's not. He usually only gives Alec a hard time when his friends are around, but when he sees Alec doing fairly well in dodge ball, he actually encourages him to explore sports some more. Alec wins a bet and makes Kent read a book, but he makes the effort to go to the school librarian for recommendations of books that Kent might like. This is how teachers and parents hope that children will act. It's delightful to see.

Clements excels at writing is a short, succinctly written book, with a certain suspenseful feel to it. What will happen with Alec and Nina? Will the group be able to make a Parents' Night presentation? Will Alec be able to keep his grades up? This will keep readers turning the pages, and along the way they will encounter a list of books that the characters like that they might be interested in picking up after they have finished The Loser's Club. Unless they need to immediately reread it for comfort!