From School Library Journal
Grade 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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Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Laverton Middle School is a miserable, boring, and soul-sapping place. Mrs. Topper’s teaching methods involve inevitable worksheets and impatient criticisms of her students; Principal Dorfman, aka the Penguin, is a walking litany of rules. But new student Clouds McFadden has a plan. Gathering a small group of eighth graders, he proposes a revolution, inspired by key historical figures (Richard Nixon, Elizabeth I, Gandhi) and events (the French Revolution), to wrest power from their principal. Student Chris Stren narrates as this elaborate plan unfolds and reaches its inevitable outcome. Beam has taken an unfortunately familiar school environment—teacher- and rule-centered rather than student-centered—and allowed his characters to experiment with changing that culture one project at a time. The result is a combination of loosely linked, tongue-in-cheek historical facts; middle-school humor; and early adolescent angst, all authentically seen through the eyes of an eighth-grader. Not as terrifying as Lord of the Flies, this title explores similar themes for a younger audience. Grades 5-8. --Frances Bradburn
