The Losers Club

Alec sits in front of Mrs. Vance’s desk. He’s very familiar with the spot. In the past she’s yelled at him or shaken her finger in his face, but today she seems calmer. Mrs. Vance explains she’s reviewed Alec’s record from fifth grade, and he went to the office 14 times for reading in class.

Mrs. Vance has come up with a new behavioral plan for Alec, and she’s involved all of his teachers. Mrs. Vance has told Alec’s teachers to keep an extra close eye on him this year and send him to the principal for any reading-in-class violations. Mrs. Vance warns Alec that if he does not change his behavior, he will be forced to attend a six-week-long summer school program.

Alec thinks about the fun activities he’d miss over the summer, like traveling to New Hampshire, visiting his grandparents, and swimming in the lake. He really doesn’t want to do the summer program.

Mrs. Vance is sending a letter to Alec’s parents to stress how serious this behavior has gotten. She plans to review his grades and behavior reports at the end of the first term, and they’ll proceed from there. Mrs. Vance gives Alec a hall pass and sends him to his second period.

With the threat of summer school looming, Alec decides to get serious about not reading in class. Throughout the day, he finds each of his teachers has been briefed about his behavior. His teachers have also collectively decided to seat him in the front of each class so he cannot get away with sneaky reading.

In previous years, the administration added an “Alec Rule” to the handbook explicitly stating that students are not allowed to read in class without teacher permission, but it didn’t stick, and Alec continued to read in class.

Now, sitting at the front of his classes, Alec finds it easier to stay on task and pay attention to his teachers. However, in fourth period, during a presentation, Alec zones out and begins thinking about his current read, The High King. His teacher calls on him, asking if he agrees with what she said, but Alec doesn’t know what she said. He agrees, which lands him the job of maintaining the whiteboard list of key concepts for the rest of the year. He’s thankful he didn’t get sent to the office.

Alec wants to read at lunch, but he spends so much time in the lunch line that he doesn’t have enough time to read. After the final bell, Alec rushes to the front of the school to give himself time to read in the bus line.

Alec’s younger brother, Luke, finds him and reminds him that they aren’t taking the bus this year. Their parents are working late now, so they must stay after school for the Extended Day Program. Luke tells Alec that his grade goes to the gym. Luke will be in the cafeteria with the other third graders.

As Alec reports to the gym, he realizes that this is a blessing: He now has three hours after school every day to do nothing but read.

Alec checks into the Extended Day program and settles onto a gym mat with his book. Not long after, he’s approached by Mrs. Case, the program director. She tells Alec he must choose between three options: the Active Games Program, the Clubs Program, or the Homework Room. Alec doesn’t understand why he can’t just read. Mrs. Case clarifies he can read in the Homework Room as long as the book is for school. Alec has the first two days of Extended Day to choose which program he wants to participate in.

Alec doesn’t want to join the Active Games Program because he’s tired from running between classes all day. There are several clubs to join, but none appeal to Alec. The idea of starting a club is also daunting because he doesn’t want to be responsible for keeping the club going and organized.

Alec approaches the kids of the Lego Club and asks if he can read at their table, promising to stay out of the way. They’re fine with it. Alec ducks down behind a big bin of Legos and continues to read. He’s quickly lost in The High King, despite having read it many times before. He loves every character and every plot twist. It’s comfortable for him.

The head of the Clubs Program, Mr. Willner, taps Alec on the shoulder and pulls him aside. Mr. Willner has received a text from Mrs. Case asking him to make sure Alec is participating in a club if he’s seated at a club table. Alec explains how he just wants to read and didn’t find any clubs that interest him. He compliments the assortment of clubs to butter up Mr. Willner, and Mr. Willner responds that the students are the ones who organize the clubs—Mr. Willner just oversees them.

It occurs to Alec that he could start a reading club. Mr. Willner gives him the application form to fill out. Alec must recruit a co-founder before he can submit the application. Mr. Willner texts Mrs. Case that Alec is finding a place in the Clubs Program. Mrs. Case responds that he has until 6:00pm tomorrow to choose an Extended Day program or Mrs. Case will choose for him. Mrs. Case also must approve of all new clubs. Alec believes he can recruit one other kid before six o’clock tomorrow.

Alec studies the application and learns that anyone attending the Extended Day program can join a club at any time. He worries about the club growing too big to manage. He doesn’t want to sit at a table of goofing-off kids while trying to read. He decides to make the club name unappealing: The Losers Club.

Alec scopes the gym and spots his friend, Dave. Alec, Kent, and Dave used to all be close friends when they were younger, before Kent became a jerk. Nowadays, Dave regularly gets caught between Alec and Kent, not wanting to disrupt his friendship with either boy. Dave is playing kickball with Kent, but there isn’t much of a game going on, as Kent is using the time to show off his skills.

Alec approaches Dave and shows him the club application. As Dave goes to look at the paper, Kent snatches it away. Kent jokes that it’s like the old days with all three of them together. Dave looks at the application but he’s not sure about the club. He’s particularly hung up on the name. Alec explains that it’s supposed to sound stupid so the club will stay small. Kent interrupts to say he and Dave are the Active Games kind of people. Dave holds his tongue. Alec continues to explain that the name is an intentional choice. Kent mocks Alec for being a bookworm, saying all he’s going to do is read anyway.

Alec recalls his eighth birthday party. He got a book as a gift and proceeded to read for forty minutes, forgetting about the party until it was almost over. When he rejoined his friends, Kent mocked Alec. It was the first time Kent called Alec a bookworm and the other kids joined in. The nickname has stuck since. Alec doesn’t think being a bookworm is a bad thing, but the way Kent says it makes it bad.

Alec tries to explain the club to Dave again, but Kent continues to interrupt. Kent asks Dave if he’d rather play kickball or join something called The Losers Club. Dave apologetically explains to Alec that he’d rather do Active Games.

Alec tries to return to reading for the last 15 minutes of Extended Day, but all he can hear is Kent’s voice calling him a bookworm.

In the car on the way home, Alec reads some of Charlotte’s Web. It’s another book that’s comfortable and familiar to him, though he wouldn’t want to be caught reading it at school because it’s a book about talking farm animals. Alec finds comfort in rereading his favorites, and he needs comfort after his interaction with Kent.

Luke shows Alec his animation project, which he’s working on in his Extended Day Program. While Alec thinks it looks great, Luke comments on all the issues it still has. Their mom makes regular Star Wars references as she drives.

At home, Alec and Luke’s parents are huge Star Wars fans. They have an extensive collection of action figures, books, Lego sets, and other memorabilia. While Alec enjoyed the Star Wars movies, it’s the books that hooked him on the universe. He’s read every one in his dad’s collection multiple times. Alec thinks books are better than movies because movies are so limited by time, whereas books have so much within their pages.

Alec is so engulfed in Charlotte’s Web that he sits in the car well after they get home to finish reading the chapter he’s on. When he realizes this, he hears Kent’s voice calling him a bookworm. Then he hears his own voice fighting back, asserting how he likes being a bookworm and he’s good at it. He realizes that he just needs to find another bookworm to help get the club started.

The next day, during Extended Day, Alec approaches Nina Warner, a girl he spots reading at the Origami Club table. Initially, she is standoffish and tells him to go away, but Alec threatens to spoil the ending to her book. Nina jumps up and waves the book at him threateningly. Alec assures her he was kidding and just wanted to get her attention.

Alec pulls Nina aside and tells her about his club. Nina at first wants to stay in the Origami Club, having chosen it so she wouldn’t have to worry about where she goes each day, but Alec informs her that Mrs. Case will see her reading sooner or later and she’ll be forced to do origami or change programs. He tells her about the reading club he’s starting. Nina doesn’t want to join a book club because there’s too much talking, but Alec reassures her that it’s not a book club, it’s just a quiet, private place to read and not be disturbed. He only wants one other member to join him so the club can be legitimized.

Intrigued, Nina asks how he’ll keep other members from joining. Alec references Brian’s Winter, where the characters have a pet skunk to keep bears away. Nina at first thinks he’s calling her a skunk, but Alec clarifies that the name of the club is their skunk: No one will want to join the Losers Club. Alec is impressed by how much literature Nina knows during their conversation, and he’s even more infatuated by her when she calls his plan “genius.”

As she signs the paper, Nina notices a line that says all clubs must have a presentation for open house in October. Alec promises to take care of that on his own. Nina signs the paper, and Alec gets it turned in before the 6:00pm deadline.