Middle school is harder than twelve-year-old Vinh thought.

His grades are slipping, and if he hopes to compete in his school's cooking competition, he needs to improve his marks. When Vinh's grandmother gifts him a magical family heirloom, a jade pen that turns thoughts into proper sentences, she warns him that overuse will activate a curse. Though Vinh promises to be careful, he can't resist using the pen to help him write essays and reports. His assignments are so good, he's even getting extra attention from his teachers. Soon Vinh finds himself obsessing over the pen, neglecting his friends and acting moody at home. Can he break the curse before it costs him his chances in the cooking competition?

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don't like to read!