Laurie is completely miserable to be starting at a private middle school. She would give anything to be at Hamilton with her BFF, Kimmy. But her family has always gone to Tuckernuck, with its dopey chicken mascot.
Bud’s presentation to the school board was so convincing it got all sweets banned from Tuckernuck. Consequently it also made him a social pariah. Bud can live without friends, but since his mother passed away, he can’t live with becoming a disappointment to his father. This means constantly working on school work, studying extra, taking mini quizzes of his father’s invention and it means no time for extracurricular activities.
It’s not long after they’re paired together on the worst possible job in the grade, gerbil duty, that they find themselves in the middle of a treasure hunt. Laurie hopes finding the treasure will convince her parents that she should be allowed to go to any school she wants. Bud hopes finding the treasure will convince the school that he should give the eighth grade graduation speech (in two years). They unite to try to find the treasure, but soon discover there’s more on the line then their own agendas. Without the mysterious Tutweiler treasure the school might have to close forever!
Bud is a very sympathetic character and the mystery aspect is bound to be fun for children. There are lots of fun clues and the text is broken up by memos, notes, letters and other communications. Laurie is an obnoxious, whiny, snot. I’m not entirely sure if being of an age when you might be an obnoxious, whiny, snot yourself makes her more likable, but from an adult perspective, it was really difficult to care about her which made reading a bit more difficult.
This book is on level for grades 3 and 4.
Sex, Nudity, Dating – A boy thinks a girl likes him. An adult asks another adult out to dinner. A boy gives a girl a note saying he doesn’t like her in that way.
Profanity – “dumb,” “stupid,” “what the…,” “butt-kisser,” “lame,” “shoot,” “what the heck,” “crap,” “shut up,” stinks,” “geez,” “moron,” plus, a boy is called “princess” as an insult.
Death, Violence and Gore – A gerbil supposedly bit off someone’s finger. A boy’s mother died. When someone is angry that person wants to rip someone else’s head off. A piano teacher hit the knuckles of students who made mistakes. Students consider mugging someone or compelling someone to do something by using a weapon.
Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking – An adult character has littered one of his hangouts with cigarette butts.
Frightening or Intense Things – None.
