Robinson, Craig.
JAKE THE FAKE KEEPS IT REAL
New York : Crown Books, 2017
IL 3-6, RL 5.5
ISBN 978-0-553-52352-2

Now this here kid-tested and approved book will get your sides aching - - with laughter!  Jake has really done it this time: he completely faked his way into a fancy music and arts academy by playing one song on the piano (the only one he knows) and the admissions staff is impressed.  Problem is, that’s ALL Jake can do!  He has no other talents, so as he starts at the school where his sister is a star, he has to fake his way through every day.  He has no other alternative than to just jump in and do the weirdest things he can think of to get by; after all, this is a school where kids get to do and go wherever their imaginations can take them – how about a sculpture out of…garbage?  Or maybe this one: a student chews a piece of gum for six hours and then writes a play about it!

Back to Jake, though – he’s doing okay getting by until the dreaded final assignment – the talent show!  What in the world will he do?  Everyone expects him to play something genius on the piano.  Will Jake figure out a talent before he’s found out and gets expelled from school? Join the ride to find out what Jake does when he’s faced with a room full of people who have high expectations of his gifts!

You’ll love the quirky classmates, hilarious jokes that include a lovely sprinkling of potty humor (no pun intended) and you’ll ultimately want to know whether Jake will find himself, fit in, and get through that talent show! (New Hampshire Great Stone Face nominee, 2018-2019)