Control Freaks
by J.E. Thomas
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Pub Date Jun 13 2023 | Archive Date Jun 16 2023
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Description
7-Grader Doug Zezzmer has his whole life Figured out... ...and he's still in middle school
Frederick Douglass Zezzmer is going to be The World's Greatest Inventor. He's already made amazing creations like Zezzmer's Solar-Powered Poop Scooper, Doug's Remote-Controlled Cat-Walking Machine and the DougApp Virtual Buddy. Impressive!
Problem is, his father is retired football player, Elliott "EZ" Zezzmer. He has a different plan for Doug's life. He expects Doug to continue the family tradition and train for pro sports.
But Doug won't give up inventing without a fight. Fortunately, he has a plan! If he's chosen to represent his school at Rocky Mountain GadgetCon this summer, Pops will have to back off.
So when Principal Yee announces an epic competition for the golden Benjamin Banneker College Prep trophy, Doug knows he has to win.
But it won't be easy. Principal Yee's competition doesn't just include "unconventional" STEM challenges in science, technology, engineering and math. It also has arts and sports events. Those aren't Doug's best subjects.
Even worse, it's a team competition. Instead of being in a superstar group, Doug gets paired with four middle school misfits no one else wants.
To top it off, Pops says that if Doug doesn't win the trophy, he can forget about GadgetCon. Instead, he'll be stuck in Soon To Be Pros' junior sports camp with his scary stepbrother, T.W.
Doug only has one week to turn his team of outcasts into winners ... and maybe even friends. Will his legendary invention-making skills be enough?
Advance Praise
★ “[A] warm and funny debut… reminiscent of E.L. Konigsburg’s The View From Saturday”
— Booklist (starred)
★ “[A] warm and funny debut… reminiscent of E.L. Konigsburg’s The View From Saturday”
— Booklist (starred)
Marketing Plan
- MAJOR ARC DISTRIBUTION - physical ARCs are available for all accounts. Please email info@levinequerido.com for your copy.
- SELECT AUTHOR APPEARANCES - Author is confirmed for virtual and in-person events throughout Colorado and West Coast
- USER-GENERATED CONTENT - LQ is partnering with select content creators to produce videos, posts, and sponsored content across social platforms
Key Selling Points
- FOR FANS OF LUPE WONG WON'T DANCE - This book is a really funny (and heartwarming!) send-up of a competitive STEM middle school
- CENTERS BLACK TEEN POV - Our main character, Frederick Douglass Zezmer, is a Black teenage inventor extraordinaire, who's also getting the hang of his blended family
- AUTHOR NAILS THE VOICE - J. E. spent years working in independent schools across the Denver, Colorado area. She's familiar with the real-life dynamics and drama of middle-school aged kids.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781646143054 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 272 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Janet J, Reviewer
Control Freaks was a fun ride through an elite middle school where a STEAMS challenge is mixing things up and pushing the students to learn not just to think outside the box, but to work with others.
Doug is desperate to win the competition to secure a spot at GadgetCon which is a big step towards becoming the greatest inventor of all time! His best friend Huey just wants to get through the competition without having to take center stage.
The activities and elimination rounds are fun and really drive the story along, but beyond the competition, there is an important story of what it means to be a parent, and how to communicate as a family. Both Doug and Huey are part of blended families, and their different experiences and circumstances really highlight what makes a family and how key it is to communicate about the important things.
A fun read with so much goodness to take away from the story!
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