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In mid-June 1964, Joey Strat was champing at the bit for his two-month summer vacation to commence. The end of fifth grade was upon him, and the liberation from the doldrums of classes came none too soon. The ensuing months promised long days spent hanging out with his friends, bingeing on junk food, and the occasional barbecue. The beginning of the next school year seemed a lifetime away. Many years later, Joe has become the principal of Avenue Ridge High School, and summer vacation is practically non-existent in his career. The end of the most recent year was marked by a blizzard of trash left by the graduating class and a slew of teacher vacancies due to resignations and retirements. Dr. Joe Strat is worlds apart from the idyllic days of his carefree youth.
This story is both a humorous and bittersweet study in contrasts. The adolescent Joe chafed at responsibility, and now his profession demands it with every second he's on the clock. Each chapter offers a glimpse into Joe's life, from his exuberant youth celebrating summer to his preparation for the upcoming school year and the multiple crises he faces. As a youth, Joe is a spirited kid with a good head on his shoulders. As an adult, Joe is older and wiser, yet he retains the ability to roll with the punches that life throws his way. The hectic pace of his life as a principal strikes a sympathetic chord in the reader, making one pine for the halcyon days of childhood. The protagonist is a character that many adults will be able to relate to. Overall, this is an intelligent, authentic, and fun narrative from beginning to end.