Adam Canfield is one overscheduled middle schooler. As a result, he is constantly on the move, usually arriving late to his myriad extracurricular activities. These include working as a journalist for the school newspaper, The Slash . The action of this novel is as fast-paced as Adam’s life as he and his co-editor, Jennifer, work at uncovering stories that reveal the true nature of some of the people in power. There is their principal, who seems to be misappropriating funds at the same time she puts more and more pressure on teachers and students for better test results, and certain members of the city government, who are promoting unfair zoning laws. Because Adam takes his job and himself very seriously, he is irritated when Phoebe, a younger student, begins getting a lot of attention for her reporting. Sometimes it all feels like too much. This over-the-top novel is extremely funny and suspenseful, but at its core are some provocative questions as it explores the misuse of power, ethics in journalism, and the role of standardized testing in American education. (Ages 9–12)