Not up to the standards set by Adler’s Cam Jansen but an enjoyable light read.
What could have turned mean Mrs. Cakel nice?
Ten-year-old Danny’s fourth-grade teacher has rules about everything, and her favorite word is “No.” No mumbling. No slouching. No passing notes. No eating in class. Danny’s unconventional friend, Calvin Waffle, is always getting into trouble. Then Mrs. Cakel suddenly turns nice. The boys decide to investigate (Calvin says his father’s a spy, so he knows “lots of spy tricks”). When they find their teacher’s house, they discover “lost dog” posters all over the neighborhood, and when they call the number on the posters, Mrs. Cakel answers. The friends decide to find the dog, get the reward and return Mrs. Cakel to normal. Meanwhile, Calvin’s scattered mother gets a new job, and Danny’s father loses his. With all these changes, will the boys still make the right choices? Though it starts with a head-scratcher—why would the boys and their friends want the mean Mrs. Cakel back?—Adler’s second tale of doodle-loving Danny features real kid characters with real kid perspectives on the adult world. Danny’s actual doodles feel a bit of an afterthought or a gimmicky grab at the younger fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but this quirky tale of genuine friendship is still worth a look.
Not up to the standards set by Adler’s Cam Jansen but an enjoyable light read. (Mystery. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4022-8728-2
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Review Posted Online: July 15, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
When Bibi, her first and favorite babysitter, moves away, it takes all of August for 8-year-old Eleanor to get beyond her sense of loss and get used to a new caretaker. Her parents grieve, too; her mother even takes some time off work. But, as is inevitable in a two-income family, eventually a new sitter appears. Natalie is sensible and understanding. They find new activities to do together, including setting up a lemonade stand outside Eleanor’s Brooklyn apartment building, waiting for Val, the mail carrier, and taking pictures of flowers with Natalie’s camera. Gradually Eleanor adjusts, September comes, her new teacher writes a welcoming letter, her best friend returns from summer vacation and third grade starts smoothly. Best of all, Val brings a loving letter from Bibi in Florida. While the story is relatively lengthy, each chapter is a self-contained episode, written simply and presented in short lines, accessible to those still struggling with the printed word. Cordell’s gray-scale line drawings reflect the action and help break up the text on almost every page. This first novel is a promising debut. Eleanor’s concerns, not only about her babysitter, but also about playmates, friends and a new school year will be familiar to readers, who will look forward to hearing more about her life. (Fiction. 7-9)
Pub Date: March 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-8109-8424-0
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Feb. 10, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2011
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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