The Handbook

Gr 4–6—A middle grade dystopia with echoes of George Orwell's 1984. Jack and his friends discover a copy of the Secret Parent's Handbook, a guide that all mothers and fathers use in the rearing of their kids. It contains classic gems such as "Because I said so, that's why" and "You'll poke your eye out!" Once the kids get their hands on the book, they are able to override their parents' reactions and control their parents' behavior. When the children join the kid-led Resistance and begin acting out, Big Mother kidnaps them and tries to send them to Antarctica where they will be de-programmed before being allowed to return to their families. Humor is peppered with mild violence as agents shoot stun guns at wayward children and adults. In the hasty ending, both the kids and their parents decide that love conquers all and no one need to try to control the other.