ALVIN WEBSTER'S SUREFIRE PLAN FOR SUCCESS (AND HOW IT FAILED)

by Sheila Greenwald ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1987

Super-bright fifth-grader Alvin not only attends a class for the gifted but is usually first in his class. His complacent parents expect him to be, a constant winner, and decorate their N.Y.C. apartment with his A+ papers and awards. When they tell him of the approaching arrival of his first sibling, they present it as his opportunity to be the best big brother in the world. Meanwhile, Alvin has a new school-assigned task: tutoring Robert Bone in math. He tackles this as another chance to be best, but Bone, though less proficient in school, is wiser, and by book's end has managed to show Alvin that ""getting a hundred is easy"" but ""failing takes guts""; that well-drawn pictures may be more interesting on a wall than perfect math papers; and that the nice thing about babies is the loving interaction with them. This satirical look at the pitfalls of being bright is broadly sketched (why Alvin suddenly starts to fail math tests is an enigma, and his insensitive, pushy parents are almost too much to believe), but amusing and on-target. Unlike many books featuring the gifted, it will appeal most to average readers, who will feel vindicated by Alvin's comeuppance.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1987

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 95

Publisher: Joy Street/Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1987

Categories: CHILDREN'S