Funny and engaging.
A second grader navigates the ups and downs of a new friendship.
So far, second grade isn’t living up to Audrey Locke’s high expectations. When the odd number of kids pair up, she’s the extra one. Longing to be best at something, Audrey—class Welcome Ambassador—seizes her opportunity when Ms. Fincastle announces they’ll be joined by a new student whose favorite snack is chocolate-covered crickets. Although Audrey drops the welcome cake she’s made, the new girl, Audrey Waters, is gracious about the mishap, and friendship blossoms. Besides their names, the girls share a liking for winged unicorns and purple nail polish. But as Audrey W excels at music, spelling, and more, Audrey L begins to feel jealous, especially after the class votes for Audrey W’s choice to name the classroom’s hermit crab. With Audrey W best at so much, Audrey L’s determined to prove herself best at baking. Then their baking-focused weekend play date goes awry, and Audrey L lets out all her worries and anger. Mann’s droll illustrations capture the full range of her changing emotions and convey character diversity: Ms. Fincastle and several students have darker skin than both brown-haired Audrey L (presumed White) and black-haired Audrey W (who has olive skin on the full-color cover). The sophisticated vocabulary and syntax might be a stretch for young readers. If mature, accomplished Audrey W is fairly thinly developed in this first series outing, Audrey L’s struggles to establish herself within the chaotic social hierarchies of elementary school are endearingly authentic.
Funny and engaging. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Oct. 5, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-4521-8394-7
Page Count: 184
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for...
A gentle voice and familiar pitfalls characterize this tale of a boy navigating the risky road to responsibility.
Gavin is new to his neighborhood and Carver Elementary. He likes his new friend, Richard, and has a typically contentious relationship with his older sister, Danielle. When Gavin’s desire to impress Richard sets off a disastrous chain of events, the boy struggles to evade responsibility for his actions. “After all, it isn’t his fault that Danielle’s snow globe got broken. Sure, he shouldn’t have been in her room—but then, she shouldn’t be keeping candy in her room to tempt him. Anybody would be tempted. Anybody!” opines Gavin once he learns the punishment for his crime. While Gavin has a charming Everyboy quality, and his aversion to Aunt Myrtle’s yapping little dog rings true, little about Gavin distinguishes him from other trouble-prone protagonists. He is, regrettably, forgettable. Coretta Scott King Honor winner English (Francie, 1999) is a teacher whose storytelling usually benefits from her day job. Unfortunately, the pizzazz of classroom chaos is largely absent from this series opener.
This outing lacks the sophistication of such category standards as Clementine; here’s hoping English amps things up for subsequent volumes. (Fiction. 6-9)Pub Date: Dec. 17, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-547-97044-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 1, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
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