SAMANTHA SMARTYPANTS RUNS FOR CLASS PRESIDENT

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SAMANTHA SMARTYPANTS RUNS FOR CLASS PRESIDENT

Name: SAMANTHA SMARTYPANTS RUNS FOR CLASS PRESIDENT
Author: Barbara Puccia
ISBN: 978-1495280832

by Barbara Puccia ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2014

A great way for kids to learn about honesty and the electoral process.

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In Puccia’s debut novel, a third-grade girl learns a little bit about politics—and a lot about friendship and believing in herself.

Samantha Pojanowski is the smart kid in her elementary-school class, which has earned her the unfortunate nickname of “Samantha Smartypants,” a moniker she tries her best to ignore, even though it bothers her. When their teacher announces that the class is going to learn about elections by electing their own class president, Samantha wants no part of it. After all, who would want to stand up in front of a class and make a speech? Puccia shows her emotional ups and downs, which will help young readers understand that they can still try things that scare them. When Samantha’s best friend, Peter Cavelli, nominates her, she does her best to decline. He believes in her, however, and she slowly begins to acclimate to the idea of becoming class president. Her first two tasks—making a poster and coming up with a slogan—crash and burn because she focuses too much on what’s important to her, instead of what’s important to the class. Peter helps her with her final task, which focuses on both. Although Samantha isn’t as popular or cool as her two opponents, she soon learns that straightforward honesty triumphs over broken campaign promises and lies. When she’s elected, she graciously gives credit to Peter for his ideas, and the two of them became co-presidents, which will help teach kids that it’s okay to share the glory. Puccia’s text is largely straightforward and engaging, which makes it accessible to early readers. (The opening is somewhat stilted, but the prose gains smoothness as the story goes on.) She provides plenty of details about the basics of real-life presidential elections, and keeps them compelling by weaving them into Samantha’s personal journey. The few illustrations, however, are rather simplistic, and add little value to the reading experience. Overall, however, Puccia’s sympathetic characters will draw readers in.

A great way for kids to learn about honesty and the electoral process.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-1495280832

Page Count: 102

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Oct. 2, 2014

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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TALES FOR VERY PICKY EATERS

by Josh Schneider & illustrated by Josh Schneider ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 1, 2011

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Broccoli: No way is James going to eat broccoli. “It’s disgusting,” says James. Well then, James, says his father, let’s consider the alternatives: some wormy dirt, perhaps, some stinky socks, some pre-chewed gum? James reconsiders the broccoli, but—milk? “Blech,” says James. Right, says his father, who needs strong bones? You’ll be great at hide-and-seek, though not so great at baseball and kickball and even tickling the dog’s belly. James takes a mouthful. So it goes through lumpy oatmeal, mushroom lasagna and slimy eggs, with James’ father parrying his son’s every picky thrust. And it is fun, because the father’s retorts are so outlandish: the lasagna-making troll in the basement who will be sent back to the rat circus, there to endure the rodent’s vicious bites; the uneaten oatmeal that will grow and grow and probably devour the dog that the boy won’t be able to tickle any longer since his bones are so rubbery. Schneider’s watercolors catch the mood of gentle ribbing, the looks of bewilderment and surrender and the deadpanned malarkey. It all makes James’ father’s last urging—“I was just going to say that you might like them if you tried them”—wholly fresh and unexpected advice. (Early reader. 5-9)

Pub Date: May 1, 2011

ISBN: 978-0-547-14956-1

Page Count: 48

Publisher: Clarion Books

Review Posted Online: April 4, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2011

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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by Josh Schneider ; illustrated by Josh Schneider

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KID AMAZING VS. THE BLOB
by Josh Schneider ; illustrated by Josh Schneider

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EVERYBODY SLEEPS (BUT NOT FRED)
by Josh Schneider ; illustrated by Josh Schneider

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ABIYOYO RETURNS

by Pete Seeger & Paul Dubois Jacobs & illustrated by Michael Hays ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2001

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The seemingly ageless Seeger brings back his renowned giant for another go in a tuneful tale that, like the art, is a bit sketchy, but chockful of worthy messages. Faced with yearly floods and droughts since they’ve cut down all their trees, the townsfolk decide to build a dam—but the project is stymied by a boulder that is too huge to move. Call on Abiyoyo, suggests the granddaughter of the man with the magic wand, then just “Zoop Zoop” him away again. But the rock that Abiyoyo obligingly flings aside smashes the wand. How to avoid Abiyoyo’s destruction now? Sing the monster to sleep, then make it a peaceful, tree-planting member of the community, of course. Seeger sums it up in a postscript: “every community must learn to manage its giants.” Hays, who illustrated the original (1986), creates colorful, if unfinished-looking, scenes featuring a notably multicultural human cast and a towering Cubist fantasy of a giant. The song, based on a Xhosa lullaby, still has that hard-to-resist sing-along potential, and the themes of waging peace, collective action, and the benefits of sound ecological practices are presented in ways that children will both appreciate and enjoy. (Picture book. 5-9)