The Losers Club

The Losers Club
Andrew Clements
Random House, 2017 240 pages
Grades 3-7
Realistic Fiction

Because of a parental job change, Alec & his younger brother Luke must start attending their elementary school's aftercare program. Alec is not happy because after the pressures of the school day he only wants to get lost in a good book to escape. Unfortunately, in aftercare everyone must either join a club, play sports, or do exclusively homework. Alec is not excited about any of the available options, so he takes matters into his own hands. With the support of a fellow classmate, Nina, Alec starts a quiet reading club. He is not interested in attracting members who may make noise, so he names his new club "The Losers Club" to dissuade kids from joining. Now Alec can sit quietly and read, only it doesn't quite work out that way. Other kids want to join him in reading and one group of girls wants to start a book discussion group. The Losers Club keeps growing, as Alec's feelings for Nina grow from friendship to a crush. Meanwhile, former friend and the class jock, Kent, who has constantly teased Alec for being a "bookworm" is also interested in Nina and decides to join The Losers Club. The pressure is taking a toll on Alec's grades and peace of mind. To make matters worse he must come up with a presentation about the club for Parent's Night or they will have to disband. What is a book-loving introvert to do?

Andrew Clements is the real deal. He has been writing believable realistic school stories for over twenty years and keeps churning them out. As a former teacher and father of four sons, Clements knows what makes kids tick and can really plug into what matters to them. I love the premise of this book and the message of the power of reading. Personally, I was a kid just like Alec and survived my school day by escaping into books. Both of my daughters did the same and my older daughter, who was stuck in aftercare, was constantly pulled out of the book and onto the dodge-ball court. She only wanted to hide behind the folded exercise mats and read. There are plenty of kids who will relate to Alec's story and will benefit from his character growth: being coaxed out of his comfort zone and transporting from an introvert to a leader. Clements includes Alec's functional family as part of this school story, including his little brother, making the book more realistic and showing kids that your family can be allies. The romance element never moves beyond a crush, making the story acceptable for lower elementary. A bibliography of all of the books is included at the end of the book for kids to dive into some of the titles enjoyed by the Losers Club. I love Clement's picks and hope that readers will try a few titles out. This would be a great book for teachers to share at the beginning of the school year to highlight the importance of reading, as well as tolerance of other people's interests and natures. As Clement's puts it The Losers Club is not for non-winners, its for kids who want to get lost in a good book. For this reason Alec keeps the club's name, yet takes objection to being called a "bookworm" and claims that he would prefer to be called a "Bookhawk". I heartily agree! A book to be savored and related to by Bookhawks everywhere.