An interview with Charlie Joe Jackson!

February is over! We can stop reading now!

Well, no. Admittedly, the "Boys Read Pink" initiative got buried under a lot of things, but there were a lot of boys that read "girl" books. A couple even went on to the second book in series (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging), and most admitted that the books were good.

Tommy Greenwald was kind enough to send an ARC of Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit (out in August 2012), and I bribed on of my students with it. He submitted questions for Charlie Joe, and then he got to read the book. Well, Ja'waun doesn't read, he keeps telling me. He just keeps moving the bookmark. Here are his questions, and Charlie Joe's answers!

1. If your book is about not reading, then why are there so many pages?
TRUE, THERE ARE A LOT OF PAGES, BUT MOST HAVE VERY FEW WORDS ON THEM!


2. Why do you think reading won't help us succeed?
BECAUSE IT TAKES US AWAY FROM FAR MORE IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES LIKE EATING ICE CREAM AND PLAYING WITH THE DOG.


3. How does reading make you fat?
BECAUSE YOU JUST SIT THERE WHEN YOU'RE READING. YOU'RE NOT GETTING EXERCISE. JUST ANOTHER WAY THAT READING IS BAD FOR YOU!


4. Why does reading books about girls help you understand them?
BECAUSE THEY ARE INCREDIBLY MYSTERIOUS CREATURES, AND THE MORE INFORMATION YOU HAVE ABOUT THEM, THE BETTER.


5. Do you think you will be in any more books?
TOTALLY. MY NEXT BOOK IS CALLED CHARLIE JOE JACKSON'S GUIDE TO EXTRA CREDIT, AND IT COMES OUT THIS SUMMER. IT'S ALL ABOUT ME TRYING TO GET STRAIGHT A'S SO I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO READING CAMP FOR THE SUMMER! I KNOW, IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE A HORROR STORY, DOESN'T IT?


I enjoyed School Library Journal's review of the first book because it gave me the term I needed for Diary of a Wimpy Kid-type books. "Notebook novels". Perfect. Charlie Joe LOOKS like a notebook novel, but is so much more!