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ONE THING I'M GOOD AT

Name: ONE THING I'M GOOD AT
Author: Karen Lynn Williams
ISBN: 0-688-16846-9

by Karen Lynn Williams ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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Fourth-grader Julie Dorinsky believes herself a failure, even though she’s artistically talented and a whiz at marbles. For her, those things don’t count’she wants to be smart. Instead of joining the academically advanced kids on “Scholars Day,” Julie is stuck doing remedial work with the “dumb kids,” and a series of “poor work papers” are crumpled in her backpack, awaiting a parent’s signature. At home, Julie’s father is recovering from a heart attack and her mother has had to take a secretarial job to make ends meet, so the last thing Julie wants to do is upset the harried pair by admitting that she’s struggling at school—that she can barely read. In the course of the story Julie finds a new friend, Marlene, and discovers—predictably—that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Williams does a credible job presenting her protagonist’s confusion caused by her lack of reading ability, but the story falters in a somewhat contrived ending that turns Julie into a local hero. It may be difficult for readers to believe that the adults around Julie are unaware of her problems; her skills are too exceptionally minimal to go unnoticed. (Fiction. 8-10)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-688-16846-9

Page Count: 144

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
BEAR HELPS THE FOREST (MAYBE YOU HELP, TOO)
by Karen Lynn Williams ; illustrated by Andrés Landazábal

- BOOK REVIEW
FACING FEAR
by Karen Lynn Williams ; illustrated by Sara Palacios

- BOOK REVIEW
A THOUSAND WHITE BUTTERFLIES
by Jessica Betancourt-Perez & Karen Lynn Williams ; illustrated by Gina Maldonado

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DAVID GOES TO SCHOOL

by David Shannon ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999

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The poster boy for relentless mischief-makers everywhere, first encountered in No, David! (1998), gives his weary mother a rest by going to school. Naturally, he’s tardy, and that’s but the first in a long string of offenses—“Sit down, David! Keep your hands to yourself! PAY ATTENTION!”—that culminates in an afterschool stint. Children will, of course, recognize every line of the text and every one of David’s moves, and although he doesn’t exhibit the larger- than-life quality that made him a tall-tale anti-hero in his first appearance, his round-headed, gap-toothed enthusiasm is still endearing. For all his disruptive behavior, he shows not a trace of malice, and it’ll be easy for readers to want to encourage his further exploits. (Picture book. 5-7)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-590-48087-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Scholastic

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
GOLD!
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon

- BOOK REVIEW
MR. NOGGINBODY AND THE CHILDISH CHILD
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon

- BOOK REVIEW
ROY DIGS DIRT
by David Shannon ; illustrated by David Shannon

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NO MATTER WHAT

by Debi Gliori ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1999

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Small, a very little fox, needs some reassurance from Large in the unconditional love department. If he is grim and grumpy, will he still be loved? “ ‘Oh, Small,’ said Large, ‘grumpy or not, I’ll always love you, no matter what.’ “ So it goes, in a gentle rhyme, as Large parries any number of questions that for Small are very telling. What if he were to turn into a young bear, or squishy bug, or alligator? Would a mother want to hug and hold these fearsome animals? Yes, yes, answers Large. “But does love wear out? Does it break or bend? Can you fix it or patch it? Does it mend?” There is comfort in Gliori’s pages, but it is a result of repetition and not the imagery; this is a quick fix, not an enduring one, but it eases Small’s fears and may well do the same for children. (Picture book. 2-6)