"You know what your problem is? Your problem is that you let The Man rule your life." 
Matthew's heart belongs to the drums, but somehow his dad talked him into playing the trumpet, the musical instrument of choice for the Swanbeck family. Oh, and some argument about by the time you pack up your drum set the trumpet player would have left with all the good looking women.
No big deal, Matthew thought, he can still pursue the dreams on his own, and "on his own" is how The Man wants to keep it.
Who is The Man, you ask? Matthew's parents, who refuse to raise his allowance but opt for building character instead. Uncle Kyle, who finds a way to deduct money from Matthew's hard-earned paycheque. Mr. Murphy, who doesn't understand marching band uniform is not summer clothing.  The Man is everywhere, and Matthew is not going to let The Man run his life anymore.
There's some great humour in this light read, which is a welcoming change from all the dystopian books out there. Love the expression on Matthew's face on the book cover, though the youngish look, and the illustrations peppered inside, awesome as they are, may deter older teens. That's too bad, 'cause they will get a kick out of the little guy coming out on top. The authentic teenage voice is captured well without being overly sarcastic or obnoxious, and Matthew's parents are a riot. Will appeal to those who grew up on Wimpy Kid. Check out more of Travis Nichols' doodles on his website ilikeapplejuice.com.
Who is The Man in your life, and what are you going to do about it?

When you didn't spend the time cramming for your test, and your mind starts humming tweedle dee dee, be creative. That's what all these students featured in this book did.
What type of attractive force or bond holds the sodium ions and chloride ions together in a crystal of sodium chloride?
James Bond.
Name six animals which live specifically in the Arctic.
Two polar bears and four seals.
The book also offers some funny spelling mistakes students made, like
What happens during puberty to a boy?
He says goodbye to his childhood and enters adultery.
Name one measure which can be put into place to avoid river flooding in times of extensive rainfall (e.g. in Mississippi).
...by placing a number of big dames into the river. 
Well, full points to the students for coming up with great answers, but when you look at some of the questions, they're just asking for it.  
Perfect little book for those who are not crazy about traditional reading but need something for silent reading (whether you can remain "silent" when reading this book is another matter).

It all began at the annual talent show. Kyle's best friend, Danny, was standing on the stage looking uncomfortable, because he'd just asked for volunteers to be hypnotized in his act and had no response from the audience. Kyle, being the good friend that he was, put up his hand and volunteered. So did his other friend's girlfriend Lilly, and then two other adults. They walked up to the stage, and was told to relax. "Close your eyes, and concentrate on the darkness in front of you. In the middle, there's a very bright light.  Relax your head, and the light dims a little. Relax your arms, and just like that, the light dims a bit more..." Just relax. Relax.
Then the next thing he knew Kyle woke up. As he's adjusting back to reality, he realized that everyone else had been frozen in mid-action. The only people who could move were the four volunteers. They thought perhaps only the audience at the talent show was affected, but as they ran to various places in town, they saw others also stuck like statues. TVs, computers and their cellphones were all not working. What's going on? Maybe, just maybe, they're still hypnotized, or something happened while they're unconscious. Either way, if you think this is scary, wait till the townsfolk wakes up...in an hour.
A quick read, easily devoured in one sitting. Great for readers who enjoy a good Twilight Zone type episode, or a classic sci-fi plot. Eerie and keeps you guessing all the way.