shopping cart
Save up to 30% on our Staff Picks
Call us: 800-878-7323 HELP
McAfee SECURE helps keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams.
Interviews | December 15, 2009

Jill Owens: IMG The Powells.com Interview with Eoin Colfer

2 comments By Jill Owens

eoincolferEoin Colfer is best known for his bestselling Artemis Fowl series, which inspires fanatical devotion in its fans. Entertainment Weekly raved: "The... Continue »
  1. $18.19 Sale Hardcover add to wish list

    And Another Thing... (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy #6)

    Eoin Colfer
Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$3.50
List price: $5.99
Used Trade Paper
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
Qty Store Section
5 Burnside Children's Middle Readers- General

More copies of this ISBN:

This title in other formats:

The Homework Machine

by Dan Gutman

The Homework Machine Cover

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

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!

Review:

"A dramatic and thought-provoking story with a strong message about honesty and friendship." School Library Journal

Review:

"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

Review:

"[A]nother engaging book by Dan Gutman." Children's Literature

Review:

"Middle-grade readers may find one part of this story upsettingly realistic and the clearly stated moral not what they had hoped to hear, but the generally humorous approach will make the lesson go down easily." Kirkus Reviews

Synopsis:

Four kids share a secret — a homework machine. Everything is great for a while, but soon the machine becomes more powerful than they ever imagined, and even its inventor is powerless to stop it.
back to top

About the Author

Dan Gutman has written many weird books for kids. He lives in New Jersey (a very weird place) with his weird wife and two weird children.
back to top

What Our Readers Are Saying

Add a comment for a chance to win!
Average customer rating based on 4 comments:
maroan, November 18, 2008 (view all comments by maroan)
Farmer Brown discovers that his cows know how to type when he receives a message from them about their need for electric blankets. When he refuses to give them blankets the cows refuse to give him any milk for the day. As the story moves on the cows continue to ask for items for not only themselves but their friends, the hens, as well. This is a great book for younger readers because it will make them laugh. The illustrations in the book are also worth looking at because they focus on many different facial expressions to show what the characters are thinking. Children will also learn the life lesson that although it may seem very difficult to get things you want, if you never give up, there is always the opportunity to get what you are hoping for.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(1 of 7 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
kry16stal, November 4, 2008 (view all comments by kry16stal)
Don't we all wish we could get out of homework sometimes? All ages, young children, high school students and even college students have a dislike for homework. Well a group of four might have just solved that problem. The group is very diverse. It is made up of a geek, class clown, slacker and teacher's pet. A machine is developed to help them with their homework. Can they keep the secret between just them? The Homework Machine is a book that develops a story through the voices of fifth graders and people around them. It is interesting on how the author tells the story from fifth graders perspectives. They worry about many unrealistic things such as being thrown in jail. It is a good, quick read. The foursome learns a lot about each other and become friends. At first they are friends because of their secret, but eventually they become friends by choice. It is a good book that illustrates honesty, friendship, and of course doing your homework! The students learn a lot about each other and not to judge a book by it's cover. The Homework Machine is a humorous and good read for many ages.
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(5 of 6 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
Robert Bo-Bo-Bozeman, October 19, 2008 (view all comments by Robert Bo-Bo-Bozeman)
that book is very intersting you should read it
Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No
(3 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment
View all 4 comments
back to top

Product Details

ISBN:
9780689876790
Author:
Gutman, Dan
Publisher:
Aladdin Paperbacks
Subject:
Humorous Stories
Subject:
School & Education
Subject:
Social Issues - Adolescence
Subject:
Schools
Subject:
Interpersonal Relations
Subject:
Social Issues - Values
Subject:
Social Issues - Friendship
Edition Description:
Trade paper
Publication Date:
June 2007
Binding:
Paperback
Grade Level:
Children/juvenile
Language:
English
Pages:
146
Dimensions:
7.58x5.30x.51 in. .28 lbs.
Age Level:
08-12
back to top

Other books you might like

  1. $13.99 New Trade Paper add to wish list

    5 Novels: Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars; Slaves of Spiegel; The Last Guru; Young Adult Novel; The Snarkout Boys and the Avo

    Daniel Manus Pinkwater
  2. $3.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    Room One: A Mystery or Two

    Andrew Clements
  3. $2.98 Sale Trade Paper add to wish list

    Clementine (Clementine)

    Sara Pennypacker
  4. $4.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    To Dance: A Ballerina's Graphic Novel

    Siena Cherso Siegel
  5. $6.50 Used Hardcover add to wish list

    Diary of a Fairy Godmother

    Esme Raji Codell
  6. $6.95 Used Trade Paper add to wish list

    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

    Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatouilline
back to top

Related Aisles

  • back to top

Powell's City of Books is an independent bookstore in Portland, Oregon, that fills a whole city block with more than a million new, used, and out of print books. Shop those shelves — plus literally millions more books, DVDs, and eBooks — here at Powells.com.