Tommy Greenwald ’79 Writes About Not Reading
Because kids hate to read, Tommy Greenwald ’79 has written…a book for them.
Tommy Greenwald '79
Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide To Not Reading has just been published. Tommy — co-captain of the 1978 state championship team, and father of 1 current and 1 former Staples player — is on a book tour.
The other night, he addressed a large crowd at Westport’s Barnes & Noble.
The book is hilarious. So is the trailer.
A series of non-readers solemnly address the camera.
“I’d rather drop a full-size bowling ball on my toe” than read, one kid intones.
“I’d rather solve the Mideast peace process,” says another.
“I’d rather be grounded for life,” claims one more.
Then comes the next stage — bargaining:
“Don’t make me read!” one pleads.
“Ewwww…gross!” adds another.
Finally, grudging acceptance:
“Is it short?” one kid wants to know.
“Are there actual words in it?” wonders another.
“How much will you pay me to read it?” asks a third.
The trailer ends with this quote from the hero, Charlie Joe Jackson: “If my book inspires just one kid to become a reader…that’s one too many.”
The real Charlie Joe Jackson — Tommy’s 3 kids, including rising junior Joe (a JV player last fall) and former player Charlie, a rising senior — had typical teenage reactions, according to their dad.
They refused to read the book. After much back-and-forth, finally — when Tom told them the main character was named after them — they agreed to look at it.
“They actually really liked it,”Tommy says with pride.
But they haven’t read another book since.
(Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading is available now — click here.)
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