Zeke Meeks wants to sell the most cake mixes for his school fund-raiser and win the contest.

As a rule, school fund-raising is no fun, but Zeke is determined to become the best fund-raiser he can be.The student who sells the most cake mixes wins tickets to an amusement park. There's just one problem. Zeke is a terrible salesperson.

Zeke must win the science fair prize money to keep Grace from ripping his face off.

Reaching Reluctant Young Readers features 150 middle-grade books. Each profiled title has the potential to hook the reluctant reader and lure them to read the entire book. To specifically encourage elementary and middle-school-age reluctant children to read, there is first a pitch to get the reader’s attention. That is followed by a short reading passage to “set the hook” and encourage the young person to read the rest of the book on their own. Further, the book contains several hundred additional recommended titles. The books selected for this collection were chosen following the criteria of reluctant reader books created by the Quick Picks committee sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association. While these guidelines were designed for young adult books, they also work well for middle-grade books. The criteria include: clear writing (no convoluted long sentences with sophisticated vocabulary), high interest “hook” in the first few pages, well-defined characters, interesting plot, and familiar themes.

Zeke Meeks is annoyed that his friends just want to sit around with their boring Puppet Pals.

Alicia organizes a volleyball tournament to raise money for her pen pal's cheerleading squad.