Exceptionally funny.
Perfectionist Maria Pepper’s wacky family interferes with her mascot ambitions in this simultaneously released sequel to The Pepper Party Picks the Perfect Pet (2019).
Supertidy Maria (an oddball in her family) is the kind of go-getter who lives her life by her favorite book: How to Make Friends, Influence People, and Crush Your Enemies into Dust. Her next step on the path to greatness is winning the school contest to get to be school mascot, the San Pimento Olive. But she’s surprised by stiff competition, which comes in the form of Darren Dill IV, an uber-rich new kid who ups the stakes by giving away free ice cream. Their contest takes comedic forms (including a rap battle featuring 12-year-old Ricky Pepper versus Darren’s butler, Crinklebottom, a DJ, Y’allTube celeb, and lawyer) and culminates in the actual tryouts. Darren unexpectedly offers friendship right before her family (in attempts to help her) causes their biggest disaster yet in front of the whole school (and on camera). Pushed too far, Maria quits her family. Darren takes her in, offering her Crinklebottom’s services to divorce them, just as he’d done with his own family. It’s up to the Peppers to uncover Darren’s true agenda, creating a climax that uses funny takes on sinister imagery to reach new heights of hilarity and bring forth familial reconciliations. The main characters all have light skin, some Peppers lighter than others, with the unfortunate result that the rap battle is waged by apparently all-white combatants.
Exceptionally funny. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: May 28, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-338-29704-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: March 16, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2019
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape.
The fourth installment in Delacre’s early-reader series centers on the rich musical traditions of Puerto Rico, once again featuring sibling tree frogs Rafi and Rosi Coquí.
Readers learn along with Rafi and Rosi as they explore bomba, plena, and salsa in three chapters. A glossary at the beginning sets readers up well to understand the Spanish vocabulary, including accurate phoneticization for non-Spanish speakers. The stories focus on Rafi and Rosi’s relationship within a musical context. For example, in one chapter Rafi finds out that he attracts a larger audience playing his homemade güiro with Rosi’s help even though he initially excluded her: “Big brothers only.” Even when he makes mistakes, as the older brother, Rafi consoles Rosi when she is embarrassed or angry at him. In each instance, their shared joy for music and dance ultimately shines through any upsets—a valuable reflection of unity. Informational backmatter and author’s sources are extensive. Undoubtedly these will help teachers, librarians, and parents to develop Puerto Rican cultural programs, curriculum, or home activities to extend young readers’ learning. The inclusion of instructions to make one’s own homemade güiro is a thoughtful addition. The Spanish translation, also by Delacre and published simultaneously, will require a more advanced reader than the English one to recognize and comprehend contractions (“pa’bajo-pa-pa’rriba”) and relatively sophisticated vocabulary.
A welcome, well-researched reflection of cultural pride in the early-reader landscape. (Early reader. 7-9)Pub Date: Sept. 17, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-89239-429-6
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Children's Book Press
Review Posted Online: July 27, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2019
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet!
Ryan Hart is navigating the fourth grade and all its challenges with determination.
Her mom named her Ryan because it means “king,” and she wanted Ryan to feel powerful every time she heard her name; Ryan knows it means she is a leader. So when changes occur or disaster strikes, budding chef Ryan does her best to find the positive and “make sunshine.” When her dad is laid off from the post office, the family must make adjustments that include moving into a smaller house, selling their car, and changing how they shop for groceries. But Ryan gets to stay at Vernon Elementary, and her mom still finds a way to get her the ingredients she needs to practice new recipes. Her older brother, Ray, can be bossy, but he finds little ways to support her, especially when she is down—as does the whole family. Each episodic chapter confronts Ryan with a situation; intermittently funny, frustrating, and touching, they should be familiar and accessible to readers, as when Ryan fumbles her Easter speech despite careful practice. Ryan, her family, and friends are Black, and Watson continues to bring visibility to both Portland, Oregon, generally and its Black community specifically, making another wonderful contribution that allows Black readers to see themselves and all readers to find a character they can love.
Move over Ramona Quimby, Portland has another neighbor you have to meet! (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: April 28, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0056-4
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Jan. 20, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2020
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