A winsome series lead effortlessly carries this breezy tale.
Pollack’s middle-grade novel, one in a series, continues the adventures of a charming New Jersey fourth grader.
Jillian “Jelly Bean” Kramer has already had a lot on her plate this school year, but with Thanksgiving just around the corner, things aren’t looking so bad—she’s scored in the best-friend department, palling around with the ever confident Britney. On the other hand, there’s tension at home: Michael, the oldest of her three older brothers, has become increasingly distant from his family and, against their parents’ wishes, he doesn’t want to go to college. Even more pressing (for Jelly Bean) is the fact that her mom won’t let her stay at Britney’s house—her mom’s chief reason being that Britney’s divorced convict father might show up. Jelly Bean tries her hardest to convince her mom, or whoever will listen, that she’ll be perfectly fine at her best friend’s place. Comfortingly, some things don’t ever seem to change: Her dog, Roger-Over, is her most reliable source of comfort, her brother Sam is perpetually “awesome,” and Joel, the youngest brother, is always ready to instigate a trivial argument. Change, however, is inevitable: Michael makes an unexpected decision about his future, and Jelly Bean’s grandparents, after a medical emergency, may have to move somewhere far away from New Jersey. “Well, life goes on,” her dad says. That’s certainly true, and Jelly Bean has some life decisions of her own to make, like whether or not she wants to remain committed to gymnastics. She knows she’ll stop by Britney’s home just as soon as her mother gives her permission—or maybe before.
As in the first installment of Pollack’s series (The Adventures of Jelly Bean, 2022), Jelly Bean is a delight. She’s naturally empathetic: She warms up to the new girl in school because she knows how mean some other girls can be, and she almost instantly regrets yelling at her mother in frustration. She’s a believable young girl who often rolls with the punches, even when it appears her “world is coming apart.” Still, she can’t help but react to Joel’s never-ending ridicule; if they’re in the same room together, a fight is practically guaranteed. Pesky siblings aren’t all readers will relate to—topical subplots follow a fellow student’s eating disorder, a family tragedy, and Britney living with her family in “the worst part of town” (the real reason, Jelly Bean speculates, that she’s not allowed to visit her friend). The book has plenty of feel-good moments as well—Roger-Over enlivens every scene he’s in, sometimes merely with the sounds of a dog getting more comfortable while resting. Britney is an invaluable confidence-booster and consistently proves herself to be a great friend. Pollack’s bright, unadorned prose lends itself to this fourth grader’s perspective; everyday life for Jelly Bean is overflowing with smaller adventures that she braves at school, family outings, or sometimes without even leaving her house. Considering that the first two series installments barely cover a year of Jelly Bean’s life, further sequels featuring this likable hero are a strong and welcome possibility.
A winsome series lead effortlessly carries this breezy tale.Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2022
ISBN: 9781649793751
Page Count: 180
Publisher: Austin Macauley
Review Posted Online: June 27, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
After Castro’s takeover, nine-year-old Julian and his older brothers are sent away by their fearful parents via “Operation Pedro Pan” to a camp in Miami for Cuban-exile children. Here he discovers that a ruthless bully has essentially been put in charge. Julian is quicker-witted than his brothers or anyone else ever imagined, though, and with his inherent smarts, developing maturity and the help of child and adult friends, he learns to navigate the dynamics of the camp and surroundings and grows from the former baby of the family to independence and self-confidence. A daring rescue mission at the end of the novel will have readers rooting for Julian even as it opens his family’s eyes to his courage and resourcefulness. This autobiographical novel is a well-meaning, fast-paced and often exciting read, though at times the writing feels choppy. It will introduce readers to a not-so-distant period whose echoes are still felt today and inspire admiration for young people who had to be brave despite frightening and lonely odds. (Historical fiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-59643-168-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: June 14, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
