A kid’s rough school days make for a rollicking and often endearing story.
A boy braves the perils of fifth grade in Silbert’s debut middle-grade novel.
It’s safe to say that Gilbert “Berticus” Icusberwitz isn’t a fan of school. It doesn’t help that his birthday always falls on the first day of the new school year, and his annual, unfulfilled wish is simply not to have to go. He begins fifth grade with his familiar dread of being bored in the classroom. His classmates include Farley Finnigan, a smart girl who enjoys one-upping him and getting him in trouble, as well as Crazy Bobby Bigglia, a bully who’s rumored to have served time in a maximum-security prison. Luckily, Berticus can rely on his best friend, Robert “Thatch” Daniels, who willingly goes along with whatever new scheme Berticus dreams up. Most of those ideas are a bit too ambitious, such as the two of them growing beards together or attracting members to a “super-secret club” without any real purpose (except, perhaps, collecting membership dues). Berticus’ greatest challenge, however, is paying attention in class. He tends to lose himself in daydreams until a teacher calls on him, forcing him to guess at the lesson’s topic: “Math problems? Holy cow! I thought we were learning about cross-pollination.” Still, grade school isn’t all doom and gloom: There’s also a girl he likes and may “actually like like.” He just needs to figure out why she’s suddenly ignoring him, in between all the big plans that take up his and Thatch’s time.
Silbert’s tale is endlessly amusing, thanks to the charm of its titular hero. Berticus’ narration makes his typically zany plans seem perfectly reasonable. Over the course of the book, it also reveals what life is like for a boy who has an awful lot of difficulty staying focused. Berticus’ mind frequently wanders while he’s sitting at his desk, during which he stares out the window or imagines something much more entertaining, such as playing video games. In some instances, it’s obvious that the boy is trying his very best to pay attention but can’t stop his thoughts from drifting into new territory. Silbert also makes clear his desire to successfully complete his schoolwork; for example, he works hard to make up a test after flubbing it the first time. Thatch stands out among the supporting cast, due to his characteristic “unruly hair,” his strong loyalty, and his own propensity for getting sidetracked. However, even minor characters prove to be hard to forget, such as Mary M’Gerkin, whose whistling nose is a veritable musical instrument, and Joey “Wrong Way” Rooney, who’s known for always having the incorrect answer to any question. Although it’s fun to watch Berticus stumble upon an interest that keeps his attention, his best moments are when he tackles unforeseen complications while camping or in the school restroom (the latter of which is definitely not Berticus’ fault). Young readers are sure to demand that Berticus and Thatch’s adventures continue—starting with, say, sixth grade.
A kid’s rough school days make for a rollicking and often endearing story.Pub Date: Oct. 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780895445032
Page Count: 238
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Dec. 26, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.
This follow-up to How To Read a Story (2005) shows a child going through the steps of creating a story, from choosing an idea through sharing with friends.
A young black child lies in a grassy field writing in a journal, working on “Step 1 / Search for an Idea— / a shiny one.” During a walk to the library, various ideas float in colorful thought bubbles, with exclamation points: “playing soccer! / dogs!” Inside the library, less-distinct ideas, expressed as shapes and pictures, with question marks, float about as the writer collects ideas to choose from. The young writer must then choose a setting, a main character, and a problem for that protagonist. Plotting, writing with detail, and revising are described in child-friendly terms and shown visually, in the form of lists and notes on faux pieces of paper. Finally, the writer sits in the same field, in a new season, sharing the story with friends. The illustrations feature the child’s writing and drawing as well as images of imagined events from the book in progress bursting off the page. The child’s main character is an adventurous mermaid who looks just like the child, complete with afro-puff pigtails, representing an affirming message about writing oneself into the world. The child’s family, depicted as black, moves in the background of the setting, which is also populated by a multiracial cast.
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5666-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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Energetic enough to carry younger rocketeers off the launch pad if not into a very high orbit.
The bubble-helmeted feline explains what rockets do and the role they have played in sending people (and animals) into space.
Addressing a somewhat younger audience than in previous outings (Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space, 2013, etc.), Astro Cat dispenses with all but a light shower of “factoroids” to describe how rockets work. A highly selective “History of Space Travel” follows—beginning with a crew of fruit flies sent aloft in 1947, later the dog Laika (her dismal fate left unmentioned), and the human Yuri Gagarin. Then it’s on to Apollo 11 in 1969; the space shuttles Discovery, Columbia, and Challenger (the fates of the latter two likewise elided); the promise of NASA’s next-gen Orion and the Space Launch System; and finally vague closing references to other rockets in the works for local tourism and, eventually, interstellar travel. In the illustrations the spacesuited professor, joined by a mouse and cat in similar dress, do little except float in space and point at things. Still, the art has a stylish retro look, and portraits of Sally Ride and Guion Bluford diversify an otherwise all-white, all-male astronaut corps posing heroically or riding blocky, geometric spacecraft across starry reaches.
Energetic enough to carry younger rocketeers off the launch pad if not into a very high orbit. (glossary) (Informational picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Sept. 4, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-911171-55-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Flying Eye Books
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2018
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