L.A. Campbell constructs her humorous, liberally illustrated debut novel as journal entries written by 12-year-old Hal Rifkind, to be discovered in the far future as part of a time capsule.
Hal's history teacher, Mr. Tupkin, hatched the idea as a year-long project for his students. Hal divides his journal into chapters such as "Shelter," which describes his attempts to sell his house so that he'll no longer have to sleep between the cribs of his twin "teething toddler" sisters (only to discover from a house inspector that their home is in violation of a safety code). When Mr. Tupkin loads Hal down with three textbooks so he can work to bring up his grade, Hal argues that he needs a Ziptuk E300S, but his father (who fixes gadgets for a living) insists he take to school a mended cart instead--which earns Hal the titular nickname.
Hal transmits a great deal through the telling detail, such as the photo of Mr. Tupkin's bow tie ("a modern-day fashion accessory that automatically makes you look a hundred years older") and Cindy Shano's purple braces. A mystery also creeps in: Why is Hal's best friend, Arnie, constantly talking to bully Ryan Horner, who disappears as soon as Hal approaches? Campbell balances lighter moments with Hal's more serious concerns, such as his grades and the tension with Arnie, and a mix of timelines, drawings and photos keeps Hal's journal lively. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness