The Absolute Value of Mike

Title: The Absolute Value of Mike
Author: Kathryn Erskine
ISBN: 978-0-399-25505-2

Kathryn Erskine's The Absolute Power of Mike is the middle grade novel equivalent of John Green's young adult books.  Since I am a huge fan of John Green's books and since I have always been disappointed that I don't work with children old enough to read them, The Absolute Value of Mike was just the answer I have been looking for.  Finally we have a children's book with a strong male character dealing with family problems and situations that are only too familiar to children everywhere. 

Mike has dyscalculia (a math learning disability) that many children can only wish they had to justify poor grades.  Despite this Mikes father has the delusional idea that if he only applied himself that Mike would be able to get into Newton High a math magnet high school.  That is like all math all the time, simply said Mikes worst nightmare.  Even worse then having a college professor for a parent is having a delusional, socially inept college professor for a dad and that is exactly what Mike has. 

When his father gets offered a teaching position in Romania where no unsupervised minors are allowed.  Mike is shipped off to his elderly (absolutely ancient) great aunt and uncle aptly named Poppy and Moo in rural Pennsylvania for the summer.  While there our math deficient protagonist is supposed to undertake an engineering project the creation of an artesian screw that will be so awesome that Mike will woo Newton High into overlooking his discalculia and admitting him to the prestigious high school. 

Unfortunately, when Mike arrives in Pennsylvania he learns that Poppy and Moo are dirt poor (the phone, electricity, and water have been shut off) and there is no Artesian Screw Project instead there is the save the whole town and raise 40,000 dollars in 6 weeks project.  At least that is a project that Mike will be good at, as long as his father doesn't find out!  The entire book is filled with intriguing and downright unusual characters all of which need a little bit of help just to get by.