Adam Canfield of the Slash [Hardcover]

Michael Winerip (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Adam Canfield of the Slash

Extra! Extra! Middle-school reporters stand up to authority to expose a school scandal in this funny, inspiring story set behind the scenes at a student newspaper.

Late for math club, late for jazz band, late for soccer — Adam Canfield has to be the most overprogrammed middle-school student in America. So when super-organized Jennifer coaxes him to be coeditor of THE SLASH — Harris Elementary/Middle School's student newspaper — he wonders if he's made a big mistake. Not only do editors get stuck with assigning stories (like an investigative report on the edibility of cafeteria food), but they also have to deal with annoying third graders like Phoebe, always pushing for a front-page slot. But when Phoebe's article on Eddie the janitor leads to a much bigger scoop — an eccentric woman's mysterious gift to the school — Adam and Jennifer rise to the challenge, risking their principal's wrath to uncover some shocking secrets. Along with a charming cast of characters and plenty of kid-friendly humor, NEW YORK TIMES education columnist Michael Winerip sneaks in some lessons about truth and cover-ups, personal integrity, and the rush that comes from breaking a really great story.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Just where is all the news that's fit to print? Well, it may be right at Harris Elementary/Middle School.Lawlor gives energetic voice to Adam Canfield, ace student reporter and new co-editor of the school newspaper, The Slash, as he and his colleagues uncover one of the biggest stories not only at the school, but the whole town. Questions of ethics (should they expose a potential scandal involving their principal?), the propriety of the education system, and the number of organized extracurricular activities one kid can handle, are solid undercurrents to this fresh and often-funny story. In Lawlor's capable hands, the tale takes off to entertaining heights—in addition to Adam, his characterization of third-grade cub reporter Phoebe is particularly good. Winerip, a Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for the New York Times, knows a thing or two about newsrooms and reporting, giving this recording a depth that can be appreciated by listeners of many ages. Ages 8-12. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8–Winerip has tapped on his experiences reporting on education issues for the New York Times to fashion this excellent novel. Adam is the reluctant new coeditor of the Slash, his affluent suburb's "award-winning" elementary/middle school newspaper. While he has a precocious penchant for investigative reporting, he's decidedly less adept in the interpersonal arena and finds he has much to learn from his more poised partner, Jennifer, about meeting the subtler demands of the job. Among them is the matter of how to supervise Phoebe, a pesky third-grade cub reporter who, though annoyingly hyper, turns out to have a remarkably potent pen and a disturbing talent for sniffing out front-page scoops. The suspenseful central plot begins when these three journalists discover that their school's social-climbing principal–a woman who likes to try to dictate the paper's content and use it as a medium for feel-good community relations–may have misused funds from a bequest to install luxurious amenities in her office. Do they dare pursue the ugly story and risk staining their "permanent records?" This poignant tension between facing thorny truths or acquiescing to more comfortable, but nonetheless insidious, systemic falsehoods–particularly those perpetuated in education, the media, race relations, and government–is echoed in subplots throughout the story. This is a deceptively fun read that somehow manages to present kids with some of the most subtle social and ethical questions currently shaping their futures.–Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Candlewick; First Edition edition (March 17, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0763623407
• ISBN-13: 978-0763623401
• Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.2 x 7.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #611,746 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars STOP THE PRESSES -- And Put This Book On Page One, April 10, 2005

By 

TruthNinja (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Adam Canfield of the Slash (Hardcover)

Mike Winerip may single-handedly save American journalism with this hilarious, suspenseful, deeply-satisfying story of elementary/middle school students discovering the joys -- and terrors -- of investigative reporting. Kids will adore this book and clamor for the sequel; some will be inspired to become real reporters (corrupt principals and corporate-TV toadies beware!) But it should also be irresistible to any grown-up who ever worked for a newspaper, laughed at "The Paper," or rooted for Woodward and Bernstein in "All the President's Men."

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From a mom's viewpoint, August 18, 2005

By 

J. Reed - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adam Canfield of the Slash (Hardcover)

My 13-year-old who rarely enjoys reading could hardly put this book down. This is the equivalent of a rave review! It made him more interested in reporting--and he liked it so much he's asked the whole family to read it!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chasing the Truth, March 14, 2005

By 

Susan Ferraro "Constant Reader" (White Plains, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Adam Canfield of the Slash (Hardcover)

Michael Winerip's wonderful and exciting story about a middle school-age reporter who is learning about his school, his friends, his town and himself is fun, smart, full of energy and thrills but without pretension or predicability. There are scenes that are laugh out loud funny, some hilarious characters who ring all too true, and issues about right and wrong, good and bad, that are really important. Just as good: even the bad guys have real personalities. Subtle social differences dictated by education, money, race and personal history unfold at an unforced pace. Among other things, readers will understand, reading "Adam Canfiled of the Slash," just why it is that a free press, when it is free, is so exciting, why it can make a great a positive difference in society, and why a true democracy needs it. Even better, readers will see that even kids can make a difference. Fortunately, Winerip never lets his large themes overwhelm or distract from his story, which is fun, engrossing and very satisfying.