bookshelf

SWEAR TO HOWDY

Name: SWEAR TO HOWDY
Author: Wendelin Van Draanen
ISBN: 0-375-82505-3

by Wendelin Van Draanen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 14, 2003

bookshelf

Triumph and tragedy mix in a compelling country tale of boys being boys. According to Rusty, next-door-neighbor Joey knows “how to have more fun with mud than most folks have with store-bought stuff.” Joey’s judgment isn’t always good however. Sure, planting bugs in their older sisters’ sodas, or a huge frog with notably loose bowels in one’s underwear drawer leads to laughs galore, but skinny-dipping where a hungry crappie can attach itself to his privates or inadvertently shooting his abusive father’s beloved mouser can get downright dangerous without quick action and mighty oaths of secrecy. Then a prank turns deadly, and those promises acquire a terrible weight. Readers expecting a knee-slapper along the lines of Gary Paulsen’s Harris and Me (1993) won’t be disappointed in the early going, but are likely to be thrown for a loop by the tale’s unexpected swerve. Rusty and Joey are both profoundly changed by their shared experiences, and though one’s attempted suicide leads to the other’s confession and a long estrangement, in the end their deep friendship endures. A change of place, but not pace, for the author of the Sammy Keyes dramas. (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2003

ISBN: 0-375-82505-3

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Random House

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2003

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
GRAVITY IS BRINGING ME DOWN
by Wendelin Van Draanen ; illustrated by Cornelia Li

- BOOK REVIEW
MR. WHISKERS AND THE SHENANIGAN SISTERS
by Wendelin Van Draanen ; illustrated by Wendelin Van Draanen

- BOOK REVIEW
THE PEACH REBELLION
by Wendelin Van Draanen

bookshelf

ALMOST SUPER

by Marion Jensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 21, 2014

A solid debut: fluent, funny and eminently sequel-worthy.

bookshelf

Inventively tweaking a popular premise, Jensen pits two Incredibles-style families with superpowers against each other—until a new challenge rises to unite them.

The Johnsons invariably spit at the mere mention of their hated rivals, the Baileys. Likewise, all Baileys habitually shake their fists when referring to the Johnsons. Having long looked forward to getting a superpower so that he too can battle his clan’s nemeses, Rafter Bailey is devastated when, instead of being able to fly or something else cool, he acquires the “power” to strike a match on soft polyester. But when hated classmate Juanita Johnson turns up newly endowed with a similarly bogus power and, against all family tradition, they compare notes, it becomes clear that something fishy is going on. Both families regard themselves as the heroes and their rivals as the villains. Someone has been inciting them to fight each other. Worse yet, that someone has apparently developed a device that turns real superpowers into silly ones. Teaching themselves on the fly how to get past their prejudice and work together, Rafter, his little brother, Benny, and Juanita follow a well-laid-out chain of clues and deductions to the climactic discovery of a third, genuinely nefarious family, the Joneses, and a fiendishly clever scheme to dispose of all the Baileys and Johnsons at once. Can they carry the day?

A solid debut: fluent, funny and eminently sequel-worthy. (Adventure. 10-12)

Pub Date: Jan. 21, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-06-220961-0

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: Nov. 1, 2013

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2013

Categories:

CHILDREN'S ACTION & ADVENTURE FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

bookshelf

HOW TO STEAL A DOG

by Barbara O’Connor ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 6, 2007

bookshelf

Georgina and younger brother Toby begin a homeless life living in Mom’s car, having been evicted when Dad leaves. Mom tries her best to work two minimum-wage jobs in order to make the security deposit for a new apartment while the kids struggle daily to maintain normalcy in and out of school. Desperate to help Mom gain some significant cash, Georgina concocts a grand scheme to steal a dog, dupe the owner into offering a $500 reward and then return the designated pooch for the cash. As crazy as this sounds, O’Connor weaves a suspenseful and achingly realistic story, fleshing out characters that live and breathe anxiety, fortitude and a right vs. wrong consciousness. Colorful, supporting roles of a wise, kind vagrant and a lonely, overweight dog owner round out this story of childhood helplessness, ingenuity and desolation. Georgina’s reflections in a secretly kept “how-to” journal will have kids anticipating her misconceptions about the realities of theft and deception. A powerful portrayal from an innocently youthful perspective. (Fiction. 10-12)