The Homework Machine
by Dan GutmanAladdin Books
2007
pp. 176
Paperback
ISBN 978-0-689-87679-0
$4.99
Synopsis
Doing homework becomes a thing of the past! Meet the D Squad, a foursome of fifth graders at the Grand Canyon School made up of a geek, a class clown, a teacher’s pet, and a slacker. They are bound together by one very big secret: the homework machine. Because the machine, code-named Belch, is doing their homework for them, they start spending a lot of time together, attracting a lot of attention. And attention is exactly what you don’t want when you are keeping a secret. Before long, things start to get out of control, and Belch becomes much more powerful than they ever imagined. Now the kids are in a race against their own creation, and the loser could end up in jail...or worse!
Read an excerpt
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman. Illustration copyright © 2006
by Cover by Dan Santat.
Read reviews
“Fifth-grader Brenton is a computer genius, but the other three members
of his work group think he’s a nerd. So, when he tells them that he
has invented a machine that does homework, they taunt him until he agrees
to demonstrate. The machine actually works, and Kelsey, Sam, and Judy convince
him to let them use it. At first, they are delighted with their freedom, but
things quickly get out of hand. Their teacher is suspicious of the suddenly
errorless work, and other friends resent the time that they spend together.
The dynamics within the group are stressful as well. Judy, a talented student,
feels guilty about cheating, but is pressured to excel. Kelsey is concerned
that her friends will shun her for associating with nerds, but her improved
grades earn privileges at home. Wisecracking Sam makes fun of Brenton but
needs his help in playing chess by mail with his dad, who is serving in Iraq.
The children gradually begin to bond, especially after Sam’s father
is killed in combat. Eventually, their secret causes conflict with the law.
The story is told entirely through short excerpts from police interviews.
This device shows the developing relationships through the kids’ own
observations. There are touches of humor in the way the four classmates talk
about themselves and one another. Ominous hints about the legal trouble maintain
tension throughout the story, but its exact nature isn’t revealed until
near the end. A dramatic and thought-provoking story with a strong message
about honesty and friendship.” --School Library Journal
“In a novel about a boy clever enough to make his computer do his homework
for him, Gutman delivers a fresh take on an idea as old as Danny Dunn and
the Homework Machine (1958). The nontraditional narrative unfolds through
the words of a large cast of characters, from a teacher to the police chief to
the students in a fifth-grade class. Each chapter is a series of first-person
entries, from a single line to a page in length, focusing primarily on four very
different students who are assigned to the same group in school. Although they
are not friends at the beginning of the book, they form an alliance of convenience
that grows into something more after the temptation of a homework machine draws
them together. A vivid subplot involves Sam, whose father is sent to war in the
Middle East. This fast-paced, entertaining book has something for everyone: convincing
characters deftly portrayed through their own words; points of discussion on
ethics and student computer use; and every child’s dream machine. Booktalkers
will find this a natural, particularly for those hard-to-tempt readers whose
preferred method of computer disposal involves a catapult and the Grand Canyon.” -- Booklist
About the author
When he was a kid, Dan Gutman always did his homework. That’s how he grew up to write cool books such as The Kid Who Ran for President, Honus & Me, The Million Dollar Shot, Race for the Sky, and The Edison Mystery: Qwerty Stevens, Back in Time. He lives in New Jersey with his family.
To learn more about the author, visit his website at www.dangutman.com.Visit your local library to borrow a copy of The Homework Machine.
Or purchase it from Simon & Schuster.
