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Reviewer: Ryan M. '12

The Janitor's Boy is a fictional adventure through a kid's life. The story is about Jack and his embarrassment for his father. I think it is sad fora kid to be embarrassed for their parents. He is embarrassed because his father is a janitor. Jack is being punished, and is spending a lot of time with father, and soon realizes that his father is a good person.

Fall 2004

Reviewer: Patrick B. '12

Jack Rankin is in the fifth grade, and his father is the janitor at his school. Unfortunately, Jack isn't proud of his dad for what he does for a living. Jack puts gum that he chews on the bottom of the desks and chairs so his dad will have to clean it up. Jack gets caught and has to stay after school for three weeks. He has to clean all the gum off of each desk and chair. One day after school, Jack has to clean the auditorium chairs, and finds a room that he did not know about. He goes into the room and gets locked in. Jack hears something, and begins to walk around in the room, and finds a teenage boy that Jack's dad has been helping to keep safe. Why is Jack's dad hiding this boy? Find out if Jack learns to appreciate and respect his dad now that he knows that his dad is helping this boy.

Fall 2004

Winter 2004

This is a picture from the book Janitor's Boy, illustrating when Jack is saying goodbye to Eddie, who is at the end of the tunnel that Jack is stuck in.  My favorite part of the book is when Jack comes out of his mysterious walk through the steam tunnel.

Winter 2003

Reviewer:  Hannah K. '10

Jack Rankin was your average fifth grader. He had friends and got pretty good grades. The only thing different then was that his dad was the high school Janitor. When Jack finds out that the fourth and fifth grade are moving there and his dad is staying, Jack is furious. Jack thinks up the perfect plan - gum. After getting caught and having to do gum duty for three weeks, Jack finds the "keys" to exploring the school in a way he has never seen it before. Jack "unlocks" the secrets of his father, some of his coworkers, and himself.

If you love Andrew Clements you'll love this book too.

Spring 2003

Winter 2002/2003

Reviewer:  Valentina N. '10

The Janitor’s Boy is about Jack and his father, John “the janitor.”  Jack is a prefect A+ student until he commits “the perfect crime.”   Principal Ackerby’s perfect punishment is three weeks as an assistant janitor. 

The kids at his school have always teased him about his dad’s job as the school's janitor.  His sadness grows from the children’s actions when he starts to work as an assistant.

Finding an unlocked cabinet of keys in the workshop he takes two of them and finds the doors they unlock. The path he takes to find the doors is challenging, somewhat like life.

Winter 2002/2003

Jack is in fifth grade and he has a problem.  His dad.  His dad is the janitor at his school.  Jack doesn't like this because some kids make fun of Jack.  One day Jack decides to have a mission to get back at his father for making him feel embarrassed.  He chews thirteen pieces of bubble gum and sticks them underneath a desk in music class.  When the principal figures out who did this, Jack is in big trouble.  How will his dad react when he finds out?  What will be Jack's punishment?  What will Jack discover about his dad?  Read the book to find out.   

Fall 2002