What do you think?
Rate this book
Slacker #1
Slacker
Cameron Boxer is very happy to spend his life avoiding homework, hanging out with his friends, and gaming for hours in his basement. It's not too hard for him to get away with it . . . until he gets so caught up in one game that he almost lets his house burn down around him.
Oops.
It's time for some serious damage control--so Cameron and his friends invent a fake school club that will make it seem like they're doing good deeds instead of slacking off. The problem? Some kids think the club is real--and Cameron is stuck being president.
Soon Cameron is part of a mission to save a beaver named Elvis from certain extinction. Along the way, he makes some new friends--and some powerful new enemies. The guy who never cared about anything is now at the center of everything . . . and it's going to take all his slacker skills to win this round.
Oops.
It's time for some serious damage control--so Cameron and his friends invent a fake school club that will make it seem like they're doing good deeds instead of slacking off. The problem? Some kids think the club is real--and Cameron is stuck being president.
Soon Cameron is part of a mission to save a beaver named Elvis from certain extinction. Along the way, he makes some new friends--and some powerful new enemies. The guy who never cared about anything is now at the center of everything . . . and it's going to take all his slacker skills to win this round.
Audio CD
First published April 26, 2016
1046 people are currently reading
2779 people want to read
About the author
Gordon Korman
246 books4,381 followersGordon Korman is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews
August 19, 2022
হাইস্কুলে পড়ার সময় মুহম্মদ জাফর ইকবালের কিশোর উপন্যাস পড়ে যে নিখাদ আনন্দ পেতাম, গর্ডন করম্যানের বই পড়ে ঠিক তেমন আনন্দ ও উত্তেজনা টের পাচ্ছি নিজের মধ্যে। হাসি, মজা, রহস্য, উত্তেজনা, গভীর বার্তা - সব মিলিয়ে "স্ল্যাকার" হচ্ছে পরিপূর্ণ বিনোদন। ক্যাম বক্সার আর তার উর্বর মস্তিষ্কের ফসল পজিটিভ একশন গ্রুপের কর্মকাণ্ড বহুদিন মনে থাকবে ( দুর্ধর্ষ ড্যাফনে আর তার সাথে লুকোচুরি খেলায় মেতে থাকা দুষ্টের শিরোমণি বিভারের কথাও!)
June 27, 2020
Very fun read that concludes with an improbable but satisfying ending. My favorite part was the mob-like high schoolers.
November 1, 2020
This was the fourth Gordon Korman novel we have read in as many weeks. After reading Restart, my son and I each picked two other books by him and picked up the eBooks. My son can read on his iPod and I can read on my phone during my commute to work. And we can share about our experiences with the story and have conversations around the books. Sometimes when we really get into one, we will also read it together in the evening. So you might be asking why 4 books by Korman, we each had preferences for which ones we wanted to read. I gave in a bit and we each got 4 and have a book to read each week for the next month together. But I could not wait and have jumped ahead. I have become addicted to Korman’s writing. And already have another half dozen I want to read. And my son feels the same way. We each currently have 5 to read, but every time we finish one, we are adding at least 1 if not more to our ‘to be read piles’.
Cam Boxes has a plan, he has a desired lifestyle, and he likes avoiding anything that even closely resembles work. His plan is to become a championship gamer. His main pastimes are avoiding homework, hanging with his friends and playing video games. Unfortunately, he has a recent online nemesis who is taunting him and stalking him through game after game. When he is so focused on a game and getting that enemy, he almost let’s his house burn down. He is seriously grounded. To try and take some of the heat off from his parents, Cameron and his friends create a fake club on the school website. And Cameron becomes the president of PAC, the Positive Action Group. They even have a motto: “Because helping others is an education in itself.” But someone notices the club and wants to join. Soon the guidance counselor in their academic advisor, and next thing you know their membership is continuously growing. The fake group is now consuming so much of Cam’s time that he is not getting any gaming practice in for the big tournament.
The group keeps growing and doing more and more good deeds. But soon they are receiving some unwanted attention from the high school students. And Their jobs start getting sabotaged. And Cam just might be starting to care about something other than his lifestyle. But to find out what happens with Cam, the PAC, and even a beaver named Elvis you will need to read the book.
And I swear, one of the driving factors for this book was just to be able to include the line ‘Elvis has left the building’. But to find out how or why you will need to read the book. If I am not careful my Gordon Korman wish list will consume the remainder of my reading budget this year. Another excellent read from the always entertaining pen of Gordon Korman. A great read and fun for readers of all ages.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Gordon Korman.
Cam Boxes has a plan, he has a desired lifestyle, and he likes avoiding anything that even closely resembles work. His plan is to become a championship gamer. His main pastimes are avoiding homework, hanging with his friends and playing video games. Unfortunately, he has a recent online nemesis who is taunting him and stalking him through game after game. When he is so focused on a game and getting that enemy, he almost let’s his house burn down. He is seriously grounded. To try and take some of the heat off from his parents, Cameron and his friends create a fake club on the school website. And Cameron becomes the president of PAC, the Positive Action Group. They even have a motto: “Because helping others is an education in itself.” But someone notices the club and wants to join. Soon the guidance counselor in their academic advisor, and next thing you know their membership is continuously growing. The fake group is now consuming so much of Cam’s time that he is not getting any gaming practice in for the big tournament.
The group keeps growing and doing more and more good deeds. But soon they are receiving some unwanted attention from the high school students. And Their jobs start getting sabotaged. And Cam just might be starting to care about something other than his lifestyle. But to find out what happens with Cam, the PAC, and even a beaver named Elvis you will need to read the book.
And I swear, one of the driving factors for this book was just to be able to include the line ‘Elvis has left the building’. But to find out how or why you will need to read the book. If I am not careful my Gordon Korman wish list will consume the remainder of my reading budget this year. Another excellent read from the always entertaining pen of Gordon Korman. A great read and fun for readers of all ages.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Gordon Korman.
January 9, 2024
Gordon Korman is currently my favorite MG contemporary author! His books are hilarious and yet believable!
Characters:
Cameron is hilarious! The lengths he is willing to go to remain a slacker...lol...and how his whole plan backfires is just gold!
There were so many other good characters and funny characters and just...ack! I was laughing so much at work!
Themes:
Teamwork, friendship, and what doing good things for other people can do for you, and the importance of pulling your own weight.
Language:
N/A
Romance:
N/A
Overall:
This book is so fun! Elvis, the beaver, was such a funny addition, and just this whole story was believable hilarious!
I have way too much fun while reading Korman's books...lol...
Recommend ages 9+
Characters:
Cameron is hilarious! The lengths he is willing to go to remain a slacker...lol...and how his whole plan backfires is just gold!
There were so many other good characters and funny characters and just...ack! I was laughing so much at work!
Themes:
Teamwork, friendship, and what doing good things for other people can do for you, and the importance of pulling your own weight.
Language:
N/A
Romance:
N/A
Overall:
This book is so fun! Elvis, the beaver, was such a funny addition, and just this whole story was believable hilarious!
I have way too much fun while reading Korman's books...lol...
Recommend ages 9+
July 4, 2024
What a fun read!!! I loved this, its hilarious, yet filled with such good themes!!💖
Language: N/A. Tho there are a couple of times where characters say "What the—" but never finish.
Violence: N/A.
Magic: N/A.
(Other: a middle-schooler refers to a high schooler as being the prettiest girl he's ever seen and that her shirt was tight and her skirt was short.)
This was such a fun book, I loved every second!!! Cameron was so funny, I loved him! Everything he did to stay a slacker😂💖 too good! Pavel and Chuck were great friends, I loved them! I loved how they weren’t scared to tell Cam the truth and point out when he was wrong, but through it all, they always had their friend's back!💖
Daphne was hilarious! She was so caught up on Elvis (the beaver)😂 she was sweet too tho!💖🥰
Mr. Fanshaw was great! And I loved how Cam could never remember his name and called him something different every time he saw him...lol...
This was such a great book! Full of comedy and great themes of helping others, standing up for yourself, and the sibling growth between Cam and Melody was so great! Loved that bit!💖🥰 this was so great! I loved how it showed how helping others can help you too, so true💖🥰👌👌
And man, that end scene with Elvis and the woods...man, I was dying! That was so hilarious, I couldn't get enough of that scene, it was pure gold!😂😂💖 and that end scene, sooooo good!!💖👏👏👏
This was such a perfect mix of fun and serious. Making kids laugh while teaching them the importance of community👏💖👌 Wonderful job, Korman!💖👏👏
8+
Language: N/A. Tho there are a couple of times where characters say "What the—" but never finish.
Violence: N/A.
Magic: N/A.
(Other: a middle-schooler refers to a high schooler as being the prettiest girl he's ever seen and that her shirt was tight and her skirt was short.)
This was such a fun book, I loved every second!!! Cameron was so funny, I loved him! Everything he did to stay a slacker😂💖 too good! Pavel and Chuck were great friends, I loved them! I loved how they weren’t scared to tell Cam the truth and point out when he was wrong, but through it all, they always had their friend's back!💖
Daphne was hilarious! She was so caught up on Elvis (the beaver)😂 she was sweet too tho!💖🥰
Mr. Fanshaw was great! And I loved how Cam could never remember his name and called him something different every time he saw him...lol...
This was such a great book! Full of comedy and great themes of helping others, standing up for yourself, and the sibling growth between Cam and Melody was so great! Loved that bit!💖🥰 this was so great! I loved how it showed how helping others can help you too, so true💖🥰👌👌
And man, that end scene with Elvis and the woods...man, I was dying! That was so hilarious, I couldn't get enough of that scene, it was pure gold!😂😂💖 and that end scene, sooooo good!!💖👏👏👏
This was such a perfect mix of fun and serious. Making kids laugh while teaching them the importance of community👏💖👌 Wonderful job, Korman!💖👏👏
8+
August 12, 2022
SO. MUCH. FUN!
Literal laugh out loud funny most of the times, and emotionally high spirited joyous warmth the other times and all the way from beginning to end. A big stupid smile on my face from the very first page to the last words and even long after finishing it. This delightful middle-grade novel made me happy, made me warm, made me feel good about being positively alive, being positive about life, and being positive towards others around us. What more do I want from a supposed "kids book"? Positive Action Read, indeed!
First Restart, and now Slacker, two thoroughly brilliant middle-grade fictions inhaled in a couple days. Most definitely Gordon Korman has very quickly became one of my absolute favorite new writers in recent times, and it looks like I have finally found an English fiction author equivalent of our beloved Bengali middle-grade novelist MZI. Dark depressing bitter soul destroying reality can suck it, I have some blissfully contented feel-good reading to do.
5 out of 5.
Literal laugh out loud funny most of the times, and emotionally high spirited joyous warmth the other times and all the way from beginning to end. A big stupid smile on my face from the very first page to the last words and even long after finishing it. This delightful middle-grade novel made me happy, made me warm, made me feel good about being positively alive, being positive about life, and being positive towards others around us. What more do I want from a supposed "kids book"? Positive Action Read, indeed!
First Restart, and now Slacker, two thoroughly brilliant middle-grade fictions inhaled in a couple days. Most definitely Gordon Korman has very quickly became one of my absolute favorite new writers in recent times, and it looks like I have finally found an English fiction author equivalent of our beloved Bengali middle-grade novelist MZI. Dark depressing bitter soul destroying reality can suck it, I have some blissfully contented feel-good reading to do.
5 out of 5.
April 4, 2017
Originally posted at Log Cabin Library
Cameron Boxer isn't a hard worker unless you count working hard at not doing his homework. He would much rather spend his time playing video games with his friends and training for the East Coast gaming championships is his top priority. Yet, all this gaming is distracting him from everything else going on around him and it ends up having huge consequences when he practically burns the house down. Cameron's parents then lay down the law and tell him he needs to get more involved in school social activities. So, Cameron comes up with the idea for forming a fake school club to cover his tracks and the Postive Action Group is born. Certainly, this will keep his parents off his back so he can keep on playing video games. That is until word starts getting around about the club and people start really signing up. Cameron even has the school counselor pressuring him as the club president to get the group involved in some community service projects. Cameron's slacker days may be over unless he can come up with a way to break up the club. But, Cameron may not have to do anything when the Positive Action Group draws the attention of a rival group and they become embattled in a huge turf war.
As soon as I checked out Slacker from the library, my kiddo couldn't resist picking it up and reading the first chapter to me. That cover just says "read me." We giggled and laughed as the "great ziti inferno" began to unfold. Here's this kid who's mom gives him instructions while he's playing a video game mind you, there's lots of "yeah" "uh huh's" and then we know the rest, but the whole thing is just so amusing to read. Each chapter alternates between the various characters and shows the motivations for their joining the group. For example, Daphne wants to save Elvis, a beaver who was displaced when his home was destroyed, Mr. Fanshaw want's to use the group members to sell raffle tickets and Freeland Mcbean a.k.a String hopes the extra credit will increase his grades enough to get back on the team. There are chapters from fellow video gamers Chuck and Pavel and even Cameron's younger sister. It maybe about video gaming initially, but Slacker also delves into the idea of not just having virtual friends, but that there are more things out there waiting to be explored. Overall, I highly recommend this amusing read packed with kid appeal.
Favorite lines: "I have initiative," Cam defended himself. "It takes a lot of work to do as little as I've done for the past thirteen years."
Cameron Boxer isn't a hard worker unless you count working hard at not doing his homework. He would much rather spend his time playing video games with his friends and training for the East Coast gaming championships is his top priority. Yet, all this gaming is distracting him from everything else going on around him and it ends up having huge consequences when he practically burns the house down. Cameron's parents then lay down the law and tell him he needs to get more involved in school social activities. So, Cameron comes up with the idea for forming a fake school club to cover his tracks and the Postive Action Group is born. Certainly, this will keep his parents off his back so he can keep on playing video games. That is until word starts getting around about the club and people start really signing up. Cameron even has the school counselor pressuring him as the club president to get the group involved in some community service projects. Cameron's slacker days may be over unless he can come up with a way to break up the club. But, Cameron may not have to do anything when the Positive Action Group draws the attention of a rival group and they become embattled in a huge turf war.
As soon as I checked out Slacker from the library, my kiddo couldn't resist picking it up and reading the first chapter to me. That cover just says "read me." We giggled and laughed as the "great ziti inferno" began to unfold. Here's this kid who's mom gives him instructions while he's playing a video game mind you, there's lots of "yeah" "uh huh's" and then we know the rest, but the whole thing is just so amusing to read. Each chapter alternates between the various characters and shows the motivations for their joining the group. For example, Daphne wants to save Elvis, a beaver who was displaced when his home was destroyed, Mr. Fanshaw want's to use the group members to sell raffle tickets and Freeland Mcbean a.k.a String hopes the extra credit will increase his grades enough to get back on the team. There are chapters from fellow video gamers Chuck and Pavel and even Cameron's younger sister. It maybe about video gaming initially, but Slacker also delves into the idea of not just having virtual friends, but that there are more things out there waiting to be explored. Overall, I highly recommend this amusing read packed with kid appeal.
Favorite lines: "I have initiative," Cam defended himself. "It takes a lot of work to do as little as I've done for the past thirteen years."
February 23, 2024
Hilarious, G-rated, middle-grade, comedy of errors
Cameron Boxer is a 13-year-old eighth grader whose primary focus is on maintaining what he calls his, "lifestyle." This involves investing as little time and effort as he can get away with on everything but gaming. When he is gaming, he tunes out the entire world, to such a degree that he almost lets his house burn down. He doesn't notice smoke is filling the house until a team of firemen break down the front door with an ax and one of them yells at him to get out of the house. Because of this situation, his parents demand that Cam become involved in something besides gaming, in particular, an extracurricular activity through his school. In order to obey the letter of his parents' mandate, while absolutely avoiding fulfilling the spirit of of it, Cam and his two BFFs create a fake entry on their school's website of a club called the Positive Action Group (PAC), with Cam listed as its president. Unfortunately, due to a series of ever expanding, hilarious coincidences, the PAC snowballs into a hugely significant club.
This is the fifth book I have read so far by this terrific children's author. I absolutely adore his "comedy of errors" type of humor. I was laughing out loud throughout this entire book. In addition, it is not only the MMC, Cam, who has an important growth arc in this story, but every significant subcharacter, and even some minor subcharacters, do as well.
I was absolutely delighted with an unexpected twist in the upbeat ending of this story. And, speaking of that ending, every plot point is tied up in a satisfying way, and there is no cliffhanger. However, there is a sequel to this novel, which offers further adventures of Cam and his buddies. I have already begun reading it.
This story is told from multiple points of view, and the audiobook version, which I checked out through Hoopla, is performed by a cast of four different voice actors. They are all very talented and do an excellent job.
Cameron Boxer is a 13-year-old eighth grader whose primary focus is on maintaining what he calls his, "lifestyle." This involves investing as little time and effort as he can get away with on everything but gaming. When he is gaming, he tunes out the entire world, to such a degree that he almost lets his house burn down. He doesn't notice smoke is filling the house until a team of firemen break down the front door with an ax and one of them yells at him to get out of the house. Because of this situation, his parents demand that Cam become involved in something besides gaming, in particular, an extracurricular activity through his school. In order to obey the letter of his parents' mandate, while absolutely avoiding fulfilling the spirit of of it, Cam and his two BFFs create a fake entry on their school's website of a club called the Positive Action Group (PAC), with Cam listed as its president. Unfortunately, due to a series of ever expanding, hilarious coincidences, the PAC snowballs into a hugely significant club.
This is the fifth book I have read so far by this terrific children's author. I absolutely adore his "comedy of errors" type of humor. I was laughing out loud throughout this entire book. In addition, it is not only the MMC, Cam, who has an important growth arc in this story, but every significant subcharacter, and even some minor subcharacters, do as well.
I was absolutely delighted with an unexpected twist in the upbeat ending of this story. And, speaking of that ending, every plot point is tied up in a satisfying way, and there is no cliffhanger. However, there is a sequel to this novel, which offers further adventures of Cam and his buddies. I have already begun reading it.
This story is told from multiple points of view, and the audiobook version, which I checked out through Hoopla, is performed by a cast of four different voice actors. They are all very talented and do an excellent job.
November 4, 2025
Such a cute and fun middle school book. Funny with a moral. My 7-year-old enjoyed it as well.
January 2, 2018
This was a cute little read about a slacker who learns that doing something isn't really that bad. I think the "playing video games all the time" will resonate with my students, so hopefully they see that there are more important things like our main narrator, Cam.
Unfortunately, I feel like there are a few too many narrators--point of views from Jennifer and the principal seem to just muddy things up a bit and will make it confusing for reluctant readers. This also means no character is particularly well-developed (there's a lot of cliches here...the obsessive jock, the would-be class president, the bad-boy from juvie, the nerdy brainiac best friend, etc.).
Unfortunately, I feel like there are a few too many narrators--point of views from Jennifer and the principal seem to just muddy things up a bit and will make it confusing for reluctant readers. This also means no character is particularly well-developed (there's a lot of cliches here...the obsessive jock, the would-be class president, the bad-boy from juvie, the nerdy brainiac best friend, etc.).
October 6, 2025
Another kind of odd book with offbeat characters. A super lazy kid starts a fake club to make it look like he’s being productive—and then a bunch of kids join the club, and he has to do stuff. It involves a beaver and a gang of high school saboteurs, and it’s just odd.
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
Language: Clean
Sexual Content: None
Violence/Gore: Mild
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
September 14, 2025
Another amazing book by Gordon Korman! I'm so addicted to this author's books. All of them are so amazing and relatable in so many ways! Not to mention the incredible and hilarious stories and characters. This one is a new favorite of mine!
*Fourth reread: How has it been two years since I've read this book?! This is SUCH a comfort read!! I don't think I'll ever get tired of this story, and that's saying something. There's just something about it that's so refreshing, so sweet, and so enjoyable to pick up! This is definitely getting me out of my current book slump. <333
*Fourth reread: How has it been two years since I've read this book?! This is SUCH a comfort read!! I don't think I'll ever get tired of this story, and that's saying something. There's just something about it that's so refreshing, so sweet, and so enjoyable to pick up! This is definitely getting me out of my current book slump. <333
February 16, 2020
Cute story. You never really get to know the main characters, beyond their archetype (the jock, the troublemaker, etc), and that's a shame. And while the message of the book is fantastic, it all felt a bit too unrealistic. Still, it was an enjoyable read.
July 24, 2018
Awesome! Hilarious, touching, and had a great message. I loved all the characters!! <3 <3
This book is so amazing!!!
This book is so amazing!!!
February 13, 2025
What a fun book! I totally didn't stay up wayyy to late to finish it, either. 👀
I'm going to have to check out more of Gordan Korman's book in the future. 😉
I'm going to have to check out more of Gordan Korman's book in the future. 😉
May 20, 2018
This is my second book by Gordon Korman and I am becoming a bit fan of his books! This was a quick, funny read that any middle school student would enjoy! I wish I had read this earlier in the year so I could recommend it to my students, but I will be sure to tell my class next year about it!
November 1, 2020
This was the fourth Gordon Korman novel we have read in as many weeks. After reading Restart, my son and I each picked two other books by him and picked up the eBooks. My son can read on his iPod and I can read on my phone during my commute to work. And we can share about our experiences with the story and have conversations around the books. Sometimes when we really get into one, we will also read it together in the evening. So you might be asking why 4 books by Korman, we each had preferences for which ones we wanted to read. I gave in a bit and we each got 4 and have a book to read each week for the next month together. But I could not wait and have jumped ahead. I have become addicted to Korman’s writing. And already have another half dozen I want to read. And my son feels the same way. We each currently have 5 to read, but every time we finish one, we are adding at least 1 if not more to our ‘to be read piles’.
Cam Boxes has a plan, he has a desired lifestyle, and he likes avoiding anything that even closely resembles work. His plan is to become a championship gamer. His main pastimes are avoiding homework, hanging with his friends and playing video games. Unfortunately, he has a recent online nemesis who is taunting him and stalking him through game after game. When he is so focused on a game and getting that enemy, he almost let’s his house burn down. He is seriously grounded. To try and take some of the heat off from his parents, Cameron and his friends create a fake club on the school website. And Cameron becomes the president of PAC, the Positive Action Group. They even have a motto: “Because helping others is an education in itself.” But someone notices the club and wants to join. Soon the guidance counselor in their academic advisor, and next thing you know their membership is continuously growing. The fake group is now consuming so much of Cam’s time that he is not getting any gaming practice in for the big tournament.
The group keeps growing and doing more and more good deeds. But soon they are receiving some unwanted attention from the high school students. And Their jobs start getting sabotaged. And Cam just might be starting to care about something other than his lifestyle. But to find out what happens with Cam, the PAC, and even a beaver named Elvis you will need to read the book.
And I swear, one of the driving factors for this book was just to be able to include the line ‘Elvis has left the building’. But to find out how or why you will need to read the book. If I am not careful my Gordon Korman wish list will consume the remainder of my reading budget this year. Another excellent read from the always entertaining pen of Gordon Korman. A great read and fun for readers of all ages.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Gordon Korman.
Cam Boxes has a plan, he has a desired lifestyle, and he likes avoiding anything that even closely resembles work. His plan is to become a championship gamer. His main pastimes are avoiding homework, hanging with his friends and playing video games. Unfortunately, he has a recent online nemesis who is taunting him and stalking him through game after game. When he is so focused on a game and getting that enemy, he almost let’s his house burn down. He is seriously grounded. To try and take some of the heat off from his parents, Cameron and his friends create a fake club on the school website. And Cameron becomes the president of PAC, the Positive Action Group. They even have a motto: “Because helping others is an education in itself.” But someone notices the club and wants to join. Soon the guidance counselor in their academic advisor, and next thing you know their membership is continuously growing. The fake group is now consuming so much of Cam’s time that he is not getting any gaming practice in for the big tournament.
The group keeps growing and doing more and more good deeds. But soon they are receiving some unwanted attention from the high school students. And Their jobs start getting sabotaged. And Cam just might be starting to care about something other than his lifestyle. But to find out what happens with Cam, the PAC, and even a beaver named Elvis you will need to read the book.
And I swear, one of the driving factors for this book was just to be able to include the line ‘Elvis has left the building’. But to find out how or why you will need to read the book. If I am not careful my Gordon Korman wish list will consume the remainder of my reading budget this year. Another excellent read from the always entertaining pen of Gordon Korman. A great read and fun for readers of all ages.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More and reviews of other books by Gordon Korman.
June 16, 2016
This review is also available on my blog, Read Till Dawn.
Who doesn't love a good Gordon Korman? I know I certainly do! This was a great read to kick off the summer with, because it's just so fun.
Now, the cynical part of me does has to say that Slacker is similar to many of Korman's other books, especially Ungifted and A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag (both of which I like more, partly just because I read them first). It's beginning to feel like Korman is kind of recycling components of his older books.
He's still a great writer, though, and I know that Slacker will appeal to a lot of kids. Heck, it appealed to me even though I'd already read so many of Korman's other books. He's an amazingly skilled writer, an amazingly funny writer, and that will always draw the attention of his audience. Plus, Cameron's gaming obsession is a total draw. I know that my brother's eyes lit up the minute I said the word "gaming" - now he wants to read Slacker as soon as I'm done with it, because he assumes it will be an interesting book.
For me, though, Slacker just didn't quite hit the sweet spot. It was good, and I really did enjoy kicking off the summer with a new Gordon Korman novel to make me laugh, but I never felt quite the same connection to the story, or the characters, that I have had with many of his others. If you haven't read as many of his books, though, then I definitely still suggest you give Slacker a try - it may not be very cutting edge compared to Korman's other books, but it's still funnier than the vast majority of middle grade books out there. If you do read Slacker, definitely let me know what you think of it in the comments section below!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Who doesn't love a good Gordon Korman? I know I certainly do! This was a great read to kick off the summer with, because it's just so fun.
Now, the cynical part of me does has to say that Slacker is similar to many of Korman's other books, especially Ungifted and A Semester in the Life of a Garbage Bag (both of which I like more, partly just because I read them first). It's beginning to feel like Korman is kind of recycling components of his older books.
He's still a great writer, though, and I know that Slacker will appeal to a lot of kids. Heck, it appealed to me even though I'd already read so many of Korman's other books. He's an amazingly skilled writer, an amazingly funny writer, and that will always draw the attention of his audience. Plus, Cameron's gaming obsession is a total draw. I know that my brother's eyes lit up the minute I said the word "gaming" - now he wants to read Slacker as soon as I'm done with it, because he assumes it will be an interesting book.
For me, though, Slacker just didn't quite hit the sweet spot. It was good, and I really did enjoy kicking off the summer with a new Gordon Korman novel to make me laugh, but I never felt quite the same connection to the story, or the characters, that I have had with many of his others. If you haven't read as many of his books, though, then I definitely still suggest you give Slacker a try - it may not be very cutting edge compared to Korman's other books, but it's still funnier than the vast majority of middle grade books out there. If you do read Slacker, definitely let me know what you think of it in the comments section below!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 23, 2016
When Cameron Boxer's parents force him to get off the couch and do something, he has the perfect plan: create a fake club with a real website.
The club has the most open-ended name ever (the Positive Action Group, what is that even supposed to mean?) and it pledges to "act positively to help our school community." There isn't even a working "contact us" link, because, well, in the off chance that somebody finds the website and actually wants to help.
As it turns out, another student bent on saving a beaver and a guidance counselor happen upon the Positive Action Group, and overnight the fake club becomes the most popular student group at Sycamore Middle School. Cam Boxer, whose only desire is to be left alone to play video games, is now thrust into the spotlight as a student leader.
This book follows the classic Korman formula: a cast of characters who take turns narrating each chapter, a tween voice with some creative use of figurative language ("she had green cat's eyes that glowed like the emeralds in Bejeweled"), and some aggressively heavy-handed inauthentic character transformations. If you've read Schooled, Ungifted, or Masterminds you alredy know this formula quite well.
As an adult reader, I sometimes wish Korman would try something new. The same shtick in a different setting can get boring. However, we know that tween readers thrive on repetition, and this book's clearly delineated turning points in terms of plot, character, and themes make it simple and yet enjoyable for most tween readers.
Recommended for grades 4-8.
The club has the most open-ended name ever (the Positive Action Group, what is that even supposed to mean?) and it pledges to "act positively to help our school community." There isn't even a working "contact us" link, because, well, in the off chance that somebody finds the website and actually wants to help.
As it turns out, another student bent on saving a beaver and a guidance counselor happen upon the Positive Action Group, and overnight the fake club becomes the most popular student group at Sycamore Middle School. Cam Boxer, whose only desire is to be left alone to play video games, is now thrust into the spotlight as a student leader.
This book follows the classic Korman formula: a cast of characters who take turns narrating each chapter, a tween voice with some creative use of figurative language ("she had green cat's eyes that glowed like the emeralds in Bejeweled"), and some aggressively heavy-handed inauthentic character transformations. If you've read Schooled, Ungifted, or Masterminds you alredy know this formula quite well.
As an adult reader, I sometimes wish Korman would try something new. The same shtick in a different setting can get boring. However, we know that tween readers thrive on repetition, and this book's clearly delineated turning points in terms of plot, character, and themes make it simple and yet enjoyable for most tween readers.
Recommended for grades 4-8.
January 22, 2022
I thought this book was good! There was a lot of good twists and turns. I realized that they are not beavers, they are human.
July 9, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
August 22, 2024
4.5 Stars
February 20, 2017
Cameron Boxer, 13, has worked hard to perfect his lifestyle - exerting as little energy and effort as possible on anything this isn't related to gaming and exerting maximum energy and effort on gaming for hours on end, all in service of his goal - winning the Rule the World tournament and defeating his nemesis the Evil McKillpeople.
Only when dinner starts to burn and the house fills with smoke, and Cameron is so wrapped up in the online game he's playing in the basement with his online friends that he doesn't noticed what happening round him until the fire department arrives, do his parents finally put their foot down. It is time for Cameron to put down the controller and get involved in real life.
But if gaming is your life, there's only one thing to do - enlist the help of your friends Pavel and Chuck to help you create a new school club by hacking into the school's website. And so the Positive Action Group or P.A.G., is created complete with mission statement and slogan "because helping others is an education in itself" and Cameron is its president. The phony P.A.G. thrills his parents and puts Cameron back into the gaming business.
The only problem is that the P.A.G. catches the eye of Daphne Leibowitz who has the perfect cause for the club to embrace. Her idea is to capture the aging beaver that has been eating every wooden thing in sight all over town after being left behind when younger beavers moved, and building a nice new beaver lodge for it. And Daphne isn't the only one enthusiastic about the club. Mr. Fanshaw, the guidance counselor, hopes the club will help sell the Fall Charity Raffle tickets, most of them still sitting in his desk. Then, Freeland "String" McBean, star football player but failing student, hopes being part of the club will help get him back on the team. Even Cameron's younger sister Melody has joined the club -to get under his skin? Maybe. But not everyone is welcoming this new club, certainly not the Friends of Fuzzy, the high school do-gooders club, whose president Jennifer isn't happy to have middle school competition.
And, naturally, everyone expects Cameron to act like the president of the club and lead them, all of which proves to seriously cut into his gaming time instead of increasing it.
Slacker is, for the most part, a very amusing novel. It is told in the first person from a multiple of perspectives, among them Cameron, Pavel, Daphne, String, Mr. Fanshaw, and Jennifer, president of the Friends of Fuzzy. Why so many narrators? Each one has their own motive for using the Positive Action Group to achieve their own goal. It sounds confusing, but it really isn't, mainly because Korman is a genius at the art of multi-perspective novels. And he does it all with lots of humor.
Interestingly, I found that I did not like the mean, self-serving Cameron from beginning to end, even though he is finally able to make himself step up to the plate when it counts. I found him to be a rather thin character in comparison to the other characters in the novel. And yet, even though I thought Cameron's obsessive gaming annoying, it is just the kind of book that middle graders will really love. It's not heavy or sad or sentimental, and it gets Cam out of the basement and away from the screens, so I guess you could call it an eye-opening story for him (and others like him), but, personally, I think it's just a lot of good, clean (but improbable) fun.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
Only when dinner starts to burn and the house fills with smoke, and Cameron is so wrapped up in the online game he's playing in the basement with his online friends that he doesn't noticed what happening round him until the fire department arrives, do his parents finally put their foot down. It is time for Cameron to put down the controller and get involved in real life.
But if gaming is your life, there's only one thing to do - enlist the help of your friends Pavel and Chuck to help you create a new school club by hacking into the school's website. And so the Positive Action Group or P.A.G., is created complete with mission statement and slogan "because helping others is an education in itself" and Cameron is its president. The phony P.A.G. thrills his parents and puts Cameron back into the gaming business.
The only problem is that the P.A.G. catches the eye of Daphne Leibowitz who has the perfect cause for the club to embrace. Her idea is to capture the aging beaver that has been eating every wooden thing in sight all over town after being left behind when younger beavers moved, and building a nice new beaver lodge for it. And Daphne isn't the only one enthusiastic about the club. Mr. Fanshaw, the guidance counselor, hopes the club will help sell the Fall Charity Raffle tickets, most of them still sitting in his desk. Then, Freeland "String" McBean, star football player but failing student, hopes being part of the club will help get him back on the team. Even Cameron's younger sister Melody has joined the club -to get under his skin? Maybe. But not everyone is welcoming this new club, certainly not the Friends of Fuzzy, the high school do-gooders club, whose president Jennifer isn't happy to have middle school competition.
And, naturally, everyone expects Cameron to act like the president of the club and lead them, all of which proves to seriously cut into his gaming time instead of increasing it.
Slacker is, for the most part, a very amusing novel. It is told in the first person from a multiple of perspectives, among them Cameron, Pavel, Daphne, String, Mr. Fanshaw, and Jennifer, president of the Friends of Fuzzy. Why so many narrators? Each one has their own motive for using the Positive Action Group to achieve their own goal. It sounds confusing, but it really isn't, mainly because Korman is a genius at the art of multi-perspective novels. And he does it all with lots of humor.
Interestingly, I found that I did not like the mean, self-serving Cameron from beginning to end, even though he is finally able to make himself step up to the plate when it counts. I found him to be a rather thin character in comparison to the other characters in the novel. And yet, even though I thought Cameron's obsessive gaming annoying, it is just the kind of book that middle graders will really love. It's not heavy or sad or sentimental, and it gets Cam out of the basement and away from the screens, so I guess you could call it an eye-opening story for him (and others like him), but, personally, I think it's just a lot of good, clean (but improbable) fun.
This book is recommended for readers age 9+
This book was borrowed from the NYPL
This review was originally posted at Randomly Reading
January 11, 2024
This book was slow for me at the start, but once I learned the characters names and got to understand the book better it all made sense. Some of the characters like Evil Mckillpeople . Cameron boxer is a slaker, he plays video games a day everyday at the start of the book, but then he changes.
June 13, 2019
Slacker is about a young boy named Cameron Boxer. He enjoys nothing more then playing video games in his basement with his friends. He calls this his "lifestyle." His lifestyle is interrupted when he almost burns down his house. He gets in a lot of trouble for letting that happen, so he decides to make a fake club so his parents will be happy with him. He calls the fake club the "Positive Action Group" or P.A.G for short. The P.A.G starts out doing nothing. That is until a girl comes to Cameron with a plan to save a beaver named Elvis. This ends the P.A.Gs week-long spree of doing nothing. All of a sudden Cameron is pulling weeds at a senior citizen home. While they are doing this, Cameron sneaks away to play video games on his phone. While he is walking to the bathroom he notices some water trickling from a room. He rushes down to get the people helping him pull weeds. When they break down the door they see a woman lying face down on the floor. She is rescued quickly. As soon as this is over, the P.A.G gets a burst of fame. Everyone wants a part of it. Soon, out of the 854 people that go to the school, 600 people join the P.A.G. Cameron is angry about this because it is cutting into his time playing video games. The P.A.G is unstoppable as more people join it. This book is a very fast read. It has a lot of twists and turns. My favorite part is when Elvis the beaver gets his own pond. It warmed my heart when I read that part. I recommend this to anyone who wants a fun short story. - Sam Kuntz
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2016
What do video gamers, beavers, and ziti have in common? Well...you'd have to read Slacker to get the full story, but suffice to say that together they all contribute to the demise of Cameron Boxer who has perfected his slacker lifestyle. Together with his gamer friends, Pavel and Chuck, they intend to defeat their archnemisis, Evil McKillpeople.
But, Cam's carefully crafted plans come to a screeching halt when he forgets to take the baked ziti out of the oven, per his mother's instuctions, and nearly burns the house down. Yikes! His parents ban his gaming until he can show that he can be responsible. They insist he get involved at school and join in a club, sport, or some other worthwhile activity that doesn't involve video games.
That's when a brilliant idea strikes the trio...hack into the school website, advertise a 'club' that is altruistic in nature, and conveniently do nothing to advance its mission. P.A.G. Is born...Positive Action Group. Of course, they neglected to think about a few crucial details. Once the school principal and guidance counselor find out about the club, everything spirals out of control and their pretend club is the hottest activity in middle school. Now, what do they do? Can they really save the town, save Elvis the beaver, save video gaming, and save themselves?
Slacker is full of humor and 'think-about-it' scenarios. It cleverly comes together and friends become enemies (for a while) and enemies become friends. In the end, Cam stays true to himself while being true to the town and his friends. He sees what is really worthwhile, while doing what he loves most.
But, Cam's carefully crafted plans come to a screeching halt when he forgets to take the baked ziti out of the oven, per his mother's instuctions, and nearly burns the house down. Yikes! His parents ban his gaming until he can show that he can be responsible. They insist he get involved at school and join in a club, sport, or some other worthwhile activity that doesn't involve video games.
That's when a brilliant idea strikes the trio...hack into the school website, advertise a 'club' that is altruistic in nature, and conveniently do nothing to advance its mission. P.A.G. Is born...Positive Action Group. Of course, they neglected to think about a few crucial details. Once the school principal and guidance counselor find out about the club, everything spirals out of control and their pretend club is the hottest activity in middle school. Now, what do they do? Can they really save the town, save Elvis the beaver, save video gaming, and save themselves?
Slacker is full of humor and 'think-about-it' scenarios. It cleverly comes together and friends become enemies (for a while) and enemies become friends. In the end, Cam stays true to himself while being true to the town and his friends. He sees what is really worthwhile, while doing what he loves most.
January 22, 2020
Cameron Boxer has dedicated his entire 13 years of life gaming, he has the basement windows blocked from anyone trying to view inside. He and his two friends, Pavel and Chuck, are in training for the Rule the World gaming event, first place prize $10,000 - only two of them will make it to the event, providing his online arch-enemy Evil McKillPeople doesn't destroy him first.
Last thing his mother said to him before she left was " something about leaving the house, and ziti, and blah, blah, blah...." Sure, ok. Then "This is the Sycamore Fire Department. Is there anybody in the house?" Of course, why did they want to know? Next thing Cameron knows is the front door is being knocked off its hinges, and the firemen are running all over the house, and coming down the basement stairs...…. Ziti...….
The three friends "cook up" a fake club at school so Cameron can continue secretly gaming, only trouble is the web address is on the school's website, before they know what hit them, everybody in the school wants to be in this club...……. And all the adults think Cameron is a genius at creating this club ----
Along comes a lonely beaver, Elvis, who manages to foil all of Cameron's plans of being the champion of the Rule the World event!
Last thing his mother said to him before she left was " something about leaving the house, and ziti, and blah, blah, blah...." Sure, ok. Then "This is the Sycamore Fire Department. Is there anybody in the house?" Of course, why did they want to know? Next thing Cameron knows is the front door is being knocked off its hinges, and the firemen are running all over the house, and coming down the basement stairs...…. Ziti...….
The three friends "cook up" a fake club at school so Cameron can continue secretly gaming, only trouble is the web address is on the school's website, before they know what hit them, everybody in the school wants to be in this club...……. And all the adults think Cameron is a genius at creating this club ----
Along comes a lonely beaver, Elvis, who manages to foil all of Cameron's plans of being the champion of the Rule the World event!
November 3, 2016
I love this book! It's as good as Ungifted, Gordan Korman is such an amazing author! I really enjoyed reading about Cameron, a slacker sell his life, struggle with is new PAG club. He is a video game obsession and video game is his life, but when his parents started to get mad about him not doing well in school and not doing any extra curricular activities and threatened to take his video games away, he and his friends hacked into the school website and created a new lab called the positive action group. They figured nobody would notice, and Cameron's parent would stop bugging him since he " created" a new club. But when the school counselor gained interest in the club, and started finding members and conducting meetings and Cameron's club got bigger and bigger, Cameron realized things had gone out of his control. I absolutely love this book, one of the funniest and the most interesting books I read.
November 22, 2021
I have to admit that I was skeptical as to whether or not I should read this to my boys at night. The main character of this book really left a lot to be desired. He was, after all, a king of slackers, and did I want my boys to think that was funny, or worse yet, ok? Needless to say, GK really turned this around. Don't give up on Cameron Boxer, the purported hero of this story. I think he'd be the first to admit that he's no one's hero. However, I found myself really liking him in the end, and I found that the entire plot, while a bit exasperating, ultimately heartwarming. Was this a textbook for children on how to be an upstanding citizen? Far from it. Was this an encouraging yet entertaining tale on how to finally learn what really matters? Absolutely. However, apparently one can still do that and continue on with video games, albeit on a more limited basis. :)
April 8, 2022
Overall, this was a fun and engaging story with mostly identifiable characters.
I read this one you one ot my kids. We couldn't help but think we were reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Ready Player One - Ready Player One for kids, thankfully. The setting of the middle school and town were realistic and fun.
Each chapter was narrated by a different character, which I found very effective in this story. I enjoyed the majority of the characters. There were just a few gags or tropes that my kid and I found annoying, such as the main character repeatedly mispronouncing a last name (each time differently), or another character always referring to himself in the third person. Other than that, great! 3.5 stars.
I read this one you one ot my kids. We couldn't help but think we were reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid meets Ready Player One - Ready Player One for kids, thankfully. The setting of the middle school and town were realistic and fun.
Each chapter was narrated by a different character, which I found very effective in this story. I enjoyed the majority of the characters. There were just a few gags or tropes that my kid and I found annoying, such as the main character repeatedly mispronouncing a last name (each time differently), or another character always referring to himself in the third person. Other than that, great! 3.5 stars.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 725 reviews