The Janitor's Boy [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Andrew Clements (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2000 | Age Level: 9 and up

Fifth-grader Jack finds himself the target of ridicule at school when it becomes known that his father is one of the janitors, and he turns his anger onto his father.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Fifth-grader Jack Rankin's father is the janitor of the junior-high school. That wouldn't be so bad if nobody knew about it. But on October 5, disaster strikes when Lenny Trumbull throws up his cafeteria ravioli: Jack's dad appears on the scene with a mop and says, "Hi, son." Jack loves his father and is proud of him, but he knows a giant letter L for loser has just been branded on his forehead. To make matters worse, Jack, furious when the inevitable stream of ridicule begins, blindly crashes into his bucket-bearing dad in the hallway, unleashing laughter, clapping, and plenty of water all around. Jack's anger is now a firestorm, and as author Andrew Clements so vividly phrases it: "The sizzling chunks of Jack's burning rage stuck to his father--like gobs of well-chewed watermelon bubble gum."

Jack's fury manifests itself into the perfect crime--a carefully premeditated, 13-piece Bubblicious attack on an innocent music-room chair that results in a sticky, gooey, smelly web that only a janitor would have the skills to remove. The "sweet smell of victory" diffuses quickly, however, when Jack is condemned to after-school gum-removal duty for the next three weeks. Stickier still is how this is going to play out at home with his mom and dad.

The after-school hours Jack spends scraping gum off furniture prove to be eye-opening. He develops a scholarly interest in gum excavation, and has plenty of time to make a list of ways he is not like his dad the janitor. But one day--first in a forgotten underground tunnel and then on a long truck-ride home--he discovers that there is more to his good-hearted, strong, unassuming father than he had ever even thought to imagine. Clements, a former public-school teacher and author of the bestselling Frindle and The Landry News, has a knack for getting to the heart of things while keeping the story buoyant. Readers of all ages will think twice about what kind of people (outside of their parental or occupational roles) their own parents might be. (Ages 8 to 12) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly

In a starred review, PW said that Clements "effectively draws a parallel" between Jack getting to know his janitor father, John, and John's relationship with his own father. "The author's uncanny ability to capture the fragile transformation from child to adolescent and its impact on family relationships informs every aspect of the novel." Ages 8-12.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 135 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786229039
• ISBN-13: 978-0786229031
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,871,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Most of my characters are fairly normal people who are dealing with the basics of everyday life--getting along with others, finding a place in the world, discovering talents, overcoming challenges, trying to have some wholesome fun along the way, and getting into some scrapes and a little mischief now and then, too. I guess I hope my readers will be able to see bits and pieces of themselves in the stories, particularly the novels that take place in and around school. School is a rich setting because schools and education are at the heart of every community. The stories that are set in school seem to resonate with kids, teachers, parents, librarians--readers of all ages. Everyone's life has been touched by school experiences. And I also hope, of course, that kids and others will enjoy reading, enjoy the use of language, enjoy my storytelling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another winner from Andrew Clements, March 5, 2001

By 

bmfc1 "bmfc1" (Silver Spring, MD USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Janitor's Boy (Hardcover)

Andrew Clements is quickly proving to be one of the finest writers for pre-teens in the country. "The Janitor's Boy" is a funny yet sensitive story about a son and his perceptions of his Father. I read it with my son and we both enjoyed it very much. It also led to several discussions between us. Any book that can foster discussions between parents and children is special. "The Janitor's Boy" is another special book from a gifted writer.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, August 25, 2007

By 

CookieBooky (www.CookieBooky.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Janitor's Boy (Paperback)

The Janitor's Boy is a classic Andrew Clements school story about real people. In almost every young person's life, there comes a time when their parents become more than 2-dimensional objects. Jack is embarrassed because his father is the school janitor. But soon Jack will learn that there's more to a person than what they do for a living.

One day, his father says hello to him in class and the other kids really start in on the teasing. Jack retaliates against his father by putting a huge mound of gum under a desk. The plan backfires and Jack's punishment is to work with as a janitor cleaning off the gum under desks for 3 weeks after school.

In that time, Jack learns a lot about his father and the work that he does. It's more than just a learn it by walking in his shoes story, though. Jack and his father have time to communicate and Jack might even find that they have more in common than he wanted or expected.

A good book about real people.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What a Perfect Crime, April 20, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Janitor's Boy (Paperback)

AN ADVENTEROUS BOOK !!!!!!!!!!! IT LEAVES YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT. How would you feel if your dad was the janitor at your school? Jack tried to avoid his dad at school as much as possible. That one day came when it was his turn to be embarrassed. A kid in Jack's class vomitted (pee-yoo) and his dad came to the rescue to clean it up. The kids then began to make fun of him with obserd remarks, but Jack had a plan to get back at them. He found these tunnels in the back of the school. He began searching these SECRETPASSAGEWAYS. He came out with more knowledge than he came in with about his school, his father, and even himself. What did he find out? huh, huh . Find out by reading this very adventurous book.