Can You Spell Revolution? by Matt Beam

From the Publisher

Between dull assemblies, tyrant teachers, and a handbook full of rules, life at Laverton Middle School can be summed up in one word: B-O-R-I-N-G. In this dramatic novel, five fed-up students borrow from the pages of history books and, seeking inspiration from revolutionary leaders, get a twisty lesson in the excitement and perils of repeating history.

KLIATT

Chris, an 8th-grader, hates all the rules of middle school, but not nearly as much as the mysterious new student, Clouds McFadden. Determined to bring about change, and inspired by the French Revolution, Clouds teams up with Chris and three other students to commit "acts of dissent." Boris, for instance, sets out to change a teacher's dull instructional methods by instigating a note-taking strike, inspired by Gandhi, while Susan challenges the tyranny of the Magnas, a group of popular girls. Landry works at getting a teacher to stop picking on him, while Chris wants to improve the boring school assemblies. And Clouds…well, in his efforts to fight student oppression he ends up becoming a tyrant himself, like his hero Lenin, and it's up to Chris to fix the situation. Perhaps repeating history isn't a good idea, after all. This light-hearted tale about challenging authority should have great appeal to middle schoolers, though it appears to take place in a time warp where no one uses cell phones or search engines, making it seem rather dated. Still, the concept of standing up for students' rights will be popular, and the touch of romance that Beam (author of Getting to First Base with Danalda Chase) supplies will add to the novel's interest. Reviewer: Paula Rohrlick

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8

The tyranny of grouchy teachers, a totalitarian principal, and the most boring school assemblies ever reign supreme at eighth-grader Chris Stren's school. That is until mysterious, fresh-faced Clouds McFadden strategically brings together four of the most unobvious members of the student body in a plot to overthrow the faculty's iron grip. Freedom, according to Clouds, is what's under siege, and he leads his team into mostly victorious pursuits using the political tactics of historical leaders like Elizabeth I, Gandhi, and Lenin. Beam's characterizations feel fully fleshed out, especially his freedom fighters. The plot, however, while full of interesting twists, plenty of he said/she said drama, and a touch of romance, often veers into history-lesson territory, exhaustively recounting facts in the lives of revolutionaries as Chris, Clouds, and their troupe research them. As the story drags on, readers will begin to realize that Chris and his friends' complaints aren't necessarily high enough stakes to warrant Clouds's final actions. While the twist at the end may be part of the plot, the results feel more like they're full of air instead of action.-Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library

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