A lighthearted camp romp with just enough danger and misadventure to keep the pages turning.
Eleven-year-old Zack Wilson has dreamed of summer camp his whole life, and here he is at Camp Wolf Trail having the time of his life in this debut volume in the Boys Camp series.
There’s a map challenge, swim tests, breakfast cleanup duty, an expedition looking for animal tracks and a mistake that could cost Zack the trust and friendship of his new Birch Cabin buddies—and that’s just the first day at summer camp. The Outdoor Adventure Guide has always been Zack’s favorite book, in which a city boy like him could learn everything about the great outdoors—navigating by the stars, using a compass or starting fires. But it lets him down when he most needs it, and Zack must learn a lesson about taking a stand and owning his mistakes. Later, on a mountain hike, the lesson learned comes into play once again, and in a short time, Zack goes from chump to hero, and camp now feels like where he belongs, among his new friends. Combining simple, fast-paced prose, a third-person voice and italics to indicate Zack’s thoughts, Dokey crafts a high-spirited, good-natured story of a young boy finding his place in the camp world.
A lighthearted camp romp with just enough danger and misadventure to keep the pages turning. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: May 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-62087-528-5
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda.
Hank Zipzer, poster boy for dyslexic middle graders everywhere, stars in a new prequel series highlighting second-grade trials and triumphs.
Hank’s hopes of playing Aqua Fly, a comic-book character, in the upcoming class play founder when, despite plenty of coaching and preparation, he freezes up during tryouts. He is not particularly comforted when his sympathetic teacher adds a nonspeaking role as a bookmark to the play just for him. Following the pattern laid down in his previous appearances as an older child, he gets plenty of help and support from understanding friends (including Ashley Wong, a new apartment-house neighbor). He even manages to turn lemons into lemonade with a quick bit of improv when Nick “the Tick” McKelty, the sneering classmate who took his preferred role, blanks on his lines during the performance. As the aforementioned bully not only chokes in the clutch and gets a demeaning nickname, but is fat, boastful and eats like a pig, the authors’ sensitivity is rather one-sided. Still, Hank has a winning way of bouncing back from adversity, and like the frequent black-and-white line-and-wash drawings, the typeface is designed with easy legibility in mind.
An uncomplicated opener, with some funny bits and a clear but not heavy agenda. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Feb. 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-448-48239-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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