Published by Levine Querido

Summary:  Frederick Douglass “Doug” Zezzmer is a 12-year-old genius inventor who goes to a middle school for gifted kids in Denver.  When the principal, Dr. Yee, announces a team STEAM competition, most of the kids are less than thrilled.  Doug is determined to win so he can show his dad (who’s just moved back after being absent for most of Doug’s life) that inventing, not sports, is his thing.  His best friend Huey, who suffers from stage fright, proves to be a liability in creating a five-person team, and they end up with a bunch of misfits.  As the competition goes on, though, the group goes from five quirky kids who don’t relate to each other to being a team who supports and cheers for each other.  The final results prove that winning doesn’t always mean finishing first and help Doug to stand up to his dad and show him who he really is.  320 pages; grades 4-7.

Pros:  The humor, middle school setting, and chapters told in different characters’ points of view reminded me of Gordon Korman’s books and should make this book an easy sell to upper elementary and middle school readers.

Cons:  I didn’t entirely understand why the title of this book is Control Freaks.