  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2018 Gr 4–6—Sam Warren is a sixth grader completely bogged down with homework. Spending more than four hours every night on assignments, he's spending less time with his family and friends and has a high level of anxiety. When the prep packet for the next standardized test adds even more hours to his evenings, Sam snaps. Enough is enough. A protest at school lands him a swift suspension, but Sam isn't ready to back down. With the help of a retired lawyer, Sam takes his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. The premise of Frank's page-turning, funny novel will immediately resonate with the middle grade audience—and likely find quite a bit of sympathy with parents as well. The book also has the potential to be an excellent teaching tool for Social Studies teachers; Sam has to argue his position at each level of the U.S. justice system as the case makes its way through the various courts. With information about historically important Supreme Court cases sprinkled throughout, the novel, offers strong curricular connections. VERDICT Humor abounds in this appealing and empowering tale. An easy pick for readers interested in the U.S. justice system.—Patrick Tierney, Dr. Martin Luther King Elementary School, Providence - Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2018 Sixth-grader Sam has had it with homework. He has a valid point; he has so much homework he has no time to play the piano or build a treehouse with his dad. His friends can’t pursue their interests in cooking, math, or sports, and his sister, Sadie, and her high-school friends constantly sacrifice sleep for their studies. Sam and Sadie recruit the widowed, retired attorney who lives across the street to file a class-action suit to abolish homework on behalf of all school-age children in Los Angeles. When their fight goes all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, the scope of the suit spreads to all students in America. Sam and his friends learn about the legal system, including the Supreme Court decisions that have bearing on their cause. Frank, himself a middle-school teacher, gets his characters just right, and the ongoing focus on the issues surrounding homework keeps the narrative centered, even as the premise goes over the top. Sam makes a compelling case in this funny, engaging, and thought-provoking story. - Copyright 2018 Booklist. Loading...
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