My Schoolwork Is a Mess!

Missing assignments. Half-done homework. Sloppy notes. A backpack jammed full of non-essential stuff: Crusty candy wrappers! A stinky sock! Broken pencils! A crumpled comic book!

When it comes to his schoolwork, Dakota is often inattentive and usually unorganised. His lack of focus leads to disappointments, and his teachers and his mum are increasingly concerned. His grades, which were never exactly stellar, are slipping, and Dakota is making excuses. Excuses like: All the teachers have it out for me, there’s way too much homework anyway, and none of this is my fault!

So what is going on? Does Dakota get more homework than everyone else? Are teachers giving him confusing instructions and unrealistic deadlines? Or does Dakota simply need some strategies and support so he doesn’t rely solely on his memory to recall every assignment, can maintain focus and avoid distractions, and perhaps even reduce his mountain of missed work?

With encouragement, guidance, and concrete strategies from his mum and the school counsellor, Dakota discovers he’s not a victim, his situation is not hopeless, he can impress his teachers, and he can improve his grades. But he has to adopt better homework habits, including having a designated homework spot, using colour-coded binders, and creating a time-management chart.

My Schoolwork Is a Mess! is a relatable, reassuring chapter book that reminds young readers, especially those who struggle to keep track of assignments and finish projects, that they can climb out of their homework hole, reset their attitude, and keep up.

Educators and group leaders can supplement the story with a downloadable Teacher and Counselor Activity Guide. The guide provides self-reflection questions and group activities to thoughtfully engage readers with the content and motivate them to embrace effective homework routines.

This is the first title in the Nurturing Independence series from award-winning author and school counsellor Jennifer Licate.

"As a special education compliance manager, I look for impactful intervention resources for students with executive functioning deficits specifically related to assignment completion and time-management skills. This book met that need and then some. It was a great resource for facilitating small-group instruction focused on increasing executive functioning skills. The story shows the struggles Dakota has with academic organization, which can lead to low grades and manifestations of anxiety. My students were able to learn new executive functioning strategies through the character's struggles. What made this book so engaging for my students is that it taught executive functioning skills through the story of Dakota. My students couldn't wait for the next chapter! This topic is often not exciting for my students, but this book gave me a fun, effective way to teach them about an important topic."
- Lindsay Novak, Special Education Compliance Manager, School District of Philadelphia