From first-time novelist Ammerman comes a sweetly standard tale of a ninth-grade nothing who gets shoved into the school spotlight.
If Judy Blume’s Peter Hatcher were in ninth grade, he would probably be friends with Zak Dale. Short, ordinary and seemingly invisible, Zak (or “Z,” as his friends call him) is accustomed to years of sliding through life without making waves. He keeps his head down and hopes that the teacher doesn’t call on him. But shattering a formaldehyde-and-sheep-brain-filled glass jar in the science room initiates a chain of events that causes Z’s invisibility factor to decrease—both for better (he receives classroom accolades and befriends hot newbie, Mia) and for worse (he’s hounded by bullies and gets reprimanded by the principal). This novel hits its stride in Z’s interactions with a particularly inspiring history teacher, and Miles, Z’s genius friend, lends interest with a unique science project that ends up shutting down school for the afternoon. However, transitions are jarring at points, character description bogs down the narrative and dialogue tends to be a bit stiff. There are also a few unnecessary subplots and unresolved issues; an incident of racial prejudice is never explained, a potential love interest disappears and the Dale family’s emotional electrician doesn’t spark any interest. The beauty of the book lies in the fact that it’s an old fashioned, tried-and-true, simple school story that could have taken place decades ago (if Ammerman had nixed the cell phones, of course). There are very few controversial issues within the text, making it an option for middle-schoolers. Though it’s a tad formulaic, the story is a winning one and should resonate with students who are tired of wizards and vampires. A good choice for readers looking for a quick, easy school story with a feel-good message.
Pub Date: Nov. 12, 2011
ISBN: 978-0984682201
Page Count: 263
Publisher: Kabloona
Review Posted Online: Dec. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
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
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity.
A collection of parental wishes for a child.
It starts out simply enough: two children run pell-mell across an open field, one holding a high-flying kite with the line “I wish you more ups than downs.” But on subsequent pages, some of the analogous concepts are confusing or ambiguous. The line “I wish you more tippy-toes than deep” accompanies a picture of a boy happily swimming in a pool. His feet are visible, but it's not clear whether he's floating in the deep end or standing in the shallow. Then there's a picture of a boy on a beach, his pockets bulging with driftwood and colorful shells, looking frustrated that his pockets won't hold the rest of his beachcombing treasures, which lie tantalizingly before him on the sand. The line reads: “I wish you more treasures than pockets.” Most children will feel the better wish would be that he had just the right amount of pockets for his treasures. Some of the wordplay, such as “more can than knot” and “more pause than fast-forward,” will tickle older readers with their accompanying, comical illustrations. The beautifully simple pictures are a sweet, kid- and parent-appealing blend of comic-strip style and fine art; the cast of children depicted is commendably multiethnic.
Although the love comes shining through, the text often confuses in straining for patterned simplicity. (Picture book. 5-8)Pub Date: April 1, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4521-2699-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2015
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