Can You Spell Revolution? (HarperCollins Canada, Fall 2006)

Just another revolting day at Laverton Jr. High: A funny, quirky young reader novel from the author of Getting to First Base With Danalda Chase.

Synopsis

Clouds McFadden is definitely different. With his shock of red hair, his disarming manner, and an opening greeting of “Good day, fellow proletariats,” this transfer student to Laverton Junior High looks ready to shake the boredom from his adopted grade eight class. Which is fine with Chris, who, quite frankly, is tired of tyrannical teachers, cool girl cliques and boring work. When Clouds proposes to Chris and a select group of other grade eights that they can change their school world for the better with just a little revolutionary zeal, everyone gets into the act. Inspired by historical figures, the group manages to humiliate a nitpicking teacher through the use of a secret tape recorder (known as operation “Code: Nixon”), infiltrate the cool girls’ club (“Code: Queen Elizabeth”) and stage a passive resistance to boring note taking (“Code: Gandhi”). But then Clouds goes too far in his desire for revenge on Principal Dorfman—and the revolution takes a frighteningly real turn.

"Can You Spell Revolution? is a great choice for young adult readers."
4 stars out of 4 - Canadian Review of Materials

"The combination of the students' historical research and their application of what they learn to their own "revolutionary" efforts makes for an intriguing plot, one that seems, at times, to be taking us to a new interesting place in young adult writing ... a nicely engaging, and sometimes surprising story." -
Quill & Quire

"... portrays the emotional chaos of these teenagers realistically and poignantly ... some will adopt this story as their teen call to the barricades." - Canadian Children's Book News