Jack Strong Takes a Stand

Written by Tommy Greenwald · Illustrated by Melissa Mendes

A boy's couch protest against overscheduling spirals into unexpected chaos.

4.0 Goodreads · 378 ratings

256 pages· 32,156 words· Est. 3.5 hour read· 640L

$6.99Save 4%

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Bookroo's summary

Jack Strong is overwhelmed by endless activities imposed by his parents. Desperate for a break, he stages a sit-in on his couch, refusing to budge until they relent. As his protest gains media attention, tensions escalate with counter-protesters. Jack enjoys the spotlight but fears he's lost control. Will his stand for freedom backfire?

From the publisher

Jack Strong just wants to be a regular kid. But his parents have overscheduled his week with every extracurricular activity under the sun: tennis, baseball, cello, karate, tutoring, and Chinese language lessons–all on top of regular homework. His parents want him to be “well-rounded” and prepared for those crucial college applications. Jack’s just about had enough. And so, he stages a sit-in on his couch and refuses to get up until his parents let him quit some of the extracurriculars. As Jack’s protest gains momentum, he attracts a local television host who is interested in doing a segment about him. Tensions rise as counter-protesters camp out across the street from Jack and his couch. Jack’s enjoying this newfound attention, but he’s worried that this sit-in may have gone too far.

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