One week. One prize. Seven really weird challenges.
The kids at Benjamin Banneker College Prep are a little... competitive.
Okay. They're a LOT competitive.
The minute Principal Yee announces an epic competition for the golden
B-B trophy, seventh-grader Frederick Douglass Zezzmer knows he has to
win.
But it won't be easy. The competition doesn't just include science,
technology, engineering and math. It also has arts and sports. Not
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.
Worst of all, Doug's dad has a horrible backup plan. If Doug doesn't
win, he has to forget about becoming The World's Greatest Inventor and
spend the summer in sports camp, with his scary stepbrother.
With only a week to go, Doug launches a quest to turn his team of
outcasts into winners... and maybe even friends.
P R A I S E
★ "Thomas strews the increasingly suspenseful competition with teachable
moments and traces learning curves not only for the students but for
teachers and parents, too. Reminiscent of E. L. Konigsburg's The View
from Saturday."
--Booklist (starred)
"Creative and hilarious...the novel's narration shifts among many
perspectives, giving a rich, panoramic view of how stressful yet
ultimately rewarding these learning experiences are for the
overachievers, the socially awkward, the kids with complicated home
lives, and all those who just need to see each other a little
differently."
--Kirkus
"...Witty competition drama... a telling that prioritizes characters'
interiority as well as their impact on each other's lives. While Doug's
determined voice is the primary focus, the rotating narratives showcase
each of the racially diverse characters' individual stressors,
delivering a well-rounded accounting that is better for its
multiplicity."
--Publishers Weekly
