The Homework Strike by Greg Pincus

Author:Greg Pincus
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

“People are saying the essay is your fault,” Benny said as he joined Gregory at lunch a little later. “I can understand the argument, though I believe Dr. Banskter is solely responsible for his own actions.”

“Nooo. I directly influence him, just like I always have,” Gregory said, annoyed. “People really blame me?”

“Why else would a teacher be speaking of homework right now? That’s the logic, anyway.” Benny carefully opened his lunch bag and placed his sandwich, cookie, and apple in a neat line.

Ana brought her food over to join the two boys. “Can I sit here?” she asked with a smile. “Or will you make me write an essay about why this is a good seat choice?”

“I will. And you need to find five sources that agree with you,” Gregory said, clearing off room for Ana and her tray.

“There isn’t even one, Gregory K.,” Ana said.

“Why did I ever think this strike was a good idea?” Gregory wondered. He absentmindedly chewed on his lunch. “All it’s proving is that not only don’t adults care what kids think, but kids don’t care either.”

“Maybe you need to practice patience,” Ana said. “Every day you don’t do homework with us, I’m a day closer to joining you.”

“When I finished history at midnight on Sunday, I had a similar thought,” Benny added. “Though I urge you not to mention that to my mother.”

“So, what would it take?” Gregory picked at his food. “If I can’t even convince my friends … ”

“Start with your enemies,” Ana said.

“I don’t even have those!” Gregory shrugged. “Now, if I used my mind control powers to have Dr. B. give out more homework every day, that could do it.”

“Yo, dude,” Alex said as he approached through the lunchroom carrying a huge pile of papers. “You’re famous!”

With a thump, Alex dropped the papers on the friends’ table. It was then that Gregory realized that they weren’t just papers, but they were papers. As in the school paper. As in …

“No. Way.” Gregory grabbed the top copy and stared at it, mouth agape. There he was on the bottom of the front page, standing in front of the school trying to get people to sign his notebook. Above him was the headline “Morris Champlin Seventh Grader Goes on Homework Strike.”

“I took that pic yesterday. Hope you don’t mind.” Alex sat down beside Gregory. “You’re news, dude.”

Eyes scanning the page, Gregory read the article. It continued inside the paper, so he flipped the page and kept on reading. His friends watched his face, noting each raised eyebrow, each tightened nostril. Finally, Gregory put the paper down and …

“Awesome!” The smile on Gregory’s face could’ve powered the heat lamps in the cafeteria. “You got every point just right, Alex.”

“You never stop talking about it, GK. It wasn’t hard.” Alex grinned.

“Here’s my favorite part,” Gregory said, flipping the paper over at the fold, revealing fancy versions of the circular charts that Ana had drawn him before. “ ‘I think everyone just assumed I’d fail all my classes.

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