IZZY'S (ALMOST) EPIC DAY

A boy with a secret crush experiences a day of high hopes and messy mishaps in Otey’s middle-grade novel.

Eleven-year-old Izzy is sure that today will be amazing: Not only will he be singing solo in the school concert, but a girl sent him a note saying that she likes him and will reveal her identity at lunch. Izzy is certain that it will be cute Kristen; what could go wrong? Plenty, as it turns out in this funny and relatable novel about one eventful day in Izzy’s life. Relayed hour by hour, Izzy’s day begins at 6 a.m. Getting ready for school, he vies with his three older siblings for the only bathroom, where, hoping to impress Kristen, he uses an entire bottle of chocolate-scented body wash, earning his siblings’ snickers and gibes. An unsightly lump on his forehead (caused when his sister’s car hit a stop sign), and a painful dodgeball incident don’t help his appearance, and the explosive result of a vinegar-fueled science experiment leaves him smelling like a chocolate-covered pickle. Daydreaming about Kristen, Izzy just can’t concentrate. The mystery girl is a no-show; Izzy’s spirits nosedive, and his best friend Jess scolds him for spreading his “funky melted-chocolate-scented mood all around.” When the concert rehearsal starts, Izzy may have lost his voice along with his confidence. This light-hearted, empathetic observation of preteen angst ends Izzy’s day at 9 p.m., after his surprise encounter with his secret admirer, comic mayhem unleashed by Izzy’s toddler brother at a restaurant, and an understated but meaningful subplot involving Izzy’s grandfather. The interactions among Izzy and his siblings—the teasing, complaints, and squabbles—clearly rest on a foundation of familial caring: “My family is crazy and weird, but I love them,” Izzy confesses. The book’s lively young characters leap off the page, enhanced by Winkler’s black-and-white spot illustrations and design elements in the text that add emphasis. The book ends with instructions for Izzy’s science experiment and a teaser for a sequel.

Humorous and well-paced, with relatable preteen characters and an authentic family dynamic.