Gross-out fun for aspiring pranksters.
Fuddy-duddies beware: This guide is for jokesters and comedians looking to pull off the perfect practical joke.
Delivering 101 goofy and giggle-inducing stunts, Julian’s handbook begins on a somber note by including a pledge for readers emphasizing the importance of safety, thoughtfulness, and respect. Warnings out of the way, young people are treated to a panoply of pranks wrapped loosely in a narrative by a certain Dr. Crankshaw of SHMOP, or the School of Hijinks, Malarkey & Outlandish Pranks, from mundane acts like crank calls and toothpaste-filled cookies to more clever ideas like recipes for homemade, edible poop (made from cocoa and peanut butter) and fried brain dust disorder (in which one’s brain pretends to disintegrate after too much homework). In addition to practical joke ideas, the author adds many helpful tips about comedic acting, explaining physical comedy, the importance of exaggerated facial expressions, voice modulation, and how to master the perfect pratfall. The pranks are presented with expressive cartoonlike illustrations, advice on preparation (such as necessary ingredients), and enumerated steps for execution. While not all the suggestions seem feasible, there is enough here to intrigue those looking for some silly, DIY entertainment. The illustrations throughout are notable for their inclusivity.
Gross-out fun for aspiring pranksters. (index) (Nonfiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 28, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-250-76844-5
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Odd Dot
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2021
An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012).
A memoir of the first 14 years in the life of Australian Robert Hoge, born with stunted legs and a tumor in the middle of his face.
In 1972, Robert is born, the youngest of five children, with fishlike eyes on the sides of his face, a massive lump in place of his nose, and malformed legs. As baby Robert is otherwise healthy, the doctors convince his parents to approve the first of many surgeries to reduce his facial difference. One leg is also amputated, and Robert comes home to his everyday white, working-class family. There's no particular theme to the tale of Robert's next decade and a half: he experiences school and teasing, attempts to participate in sports, and is shot down by a girl. Vignette-driven choppiness and the lack of an overarching narrative would make the likeliest audience be those who seek disability stories. However, young Robert's ongoing quest to identify as "normal"—a quest that remains unchanged until a sudden turnaround on the penultimate page—risks alienating readers comfortable with their disabilities. Brief lyrical moments ("as compulsory as soggy tomato sandwiches at snack time") appeal but are overwhelmed by the dry, distant prose dominating this autobiography.
An apt choice for collections that already have stronger alternatives, such as R.J. Palacio's Wonder (2012). (Memoir. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 6, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-425-28775-0
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2016
An impeccably researched and told biography of Leonard Bernstein’s musical apprenticeship, from toddlerhood to his conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 25. Rubin traces Lenny’s education, musical influences and enduring friendships. Lenny reveled in mounting elaborate musical productions in Sharon, Mass., his family’s summer community. As a student, he augmented support from his family by giving lessons, accompanying singers, transcribing music and more; the narrative sparkles with details that match its subject’s energy and verve. Especially crystalline are the links drawn between father Sam’s decades-long dismissal of his son’s musical gifts and the consequential importance of mentors and supportive teachers in the young man’s life. In exploring Lenny’s devout Jewish roots and coming of age during the persecution of Jews in Europe, the author reveals how dramatically Bernstein altered the landscape for conductors on the American scene. In an epilogue sketching Bernstein’s later life, she briefly mentions his bisexuality, marriage and children. Drawn from interviews, family memoirs and other print resources, quotations are well-integrated and assiduously attributed. Photos, concert programs, early doodles and letters, excerpts from musical scores and other primary documentation enhance the text. Excellent bookmaking—from type to trim size—complements a remarkable celebration of a uniquely American musical genius. (chronology, biographical sketches, author’s note, discography, bibliography, quotation sources, index) (Biography. 9-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2011
ISBN: 978-1-58089-344-2
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2011
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