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I HATE BOOKS!

Name: I HATE BOOKS!
Author: Kate Walker
ISBN: 0-8126-2745-8

by Kate Walker & illustrated by David Cox ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2007

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A lad wanders off the path to literacy and almost doesn’t find his way back in this perceptive cautionary tale. Unlike his older brother Nathan, Hamish fails to pick up the reading knack before starting school, and thanks both to some ingenious concealing strategies and to the fact that he’s otherwise a good student, gets to third grade before any adult notices. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he’s consigned to a jail-like Book Room, where the “dummies” go for remedial instruction. Mutinously digging in his heels, Hamish fails to respond either to the reading teacher’s efforts, or to his parents’ clumsy attempts to change his attitude. Surrounded by well-meaning but ineffectual adults, Hamish puts up a stout defense that only crumbles when his admired brother comes up with an effective combination of tangible reward and a self-esteem-restoring show of vulnerability. Short chapters, simple language and lots of line drawings add up to plenty of appeal for less-practiced readers—but grown-ups too will find this a thought-provoking look inside the mind of a reluctant reader. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 1, 2007

ISBN: 0-8126-2745-8

Page Count: 88

Publisher: Cricket

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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ADA LACE, ON THE CASE

From the Ada Lace series , Vol. 1

by Emily Calandrelli & Tamson Weston ; illustrated by Renée Kurilla ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 29, 2017

The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the...

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Using science and technology, third-grader Ada Lace kicks off her new series by solving a mystery even with her leg in a cast.

Temporarily housebound after a badly executed bungee jump, Ada uses binoculars to document the ecosystem of her new neighborhood in San Francisco. She records her observations in a field journal, a project that intrigues new friend Nina, who lives nearby. When they see that Ms. Reed’s dog, Marguerite, is missing, they leap to the conclusion that it has been stolen. Nina does the legwork and Ada provides the technology for their search for the dognapper. Story-crafting takes a back seat to scene-setting in this series kickoff that introduces the major players. As part of the series formula, science topics and gadgetry are integrated into the stories and further explained in a “Behind the Science” afterword. This installment incorporates drones, a wireless camera, gecko gloves, and the Turing test as well as the concept of an ecosystem. There are no ethnic indicators in the text, but the illustrations reveal that Ada, her family, and bratty neighbor Milton are white; Nina appears to be Southeast Asian; and Mr. Peebles, an inventor who lives nearby, is black.

The story feels a bit contrived, but Ada will be a welcome addition to the small circle of science-loving girls in the chapter-book world. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: Aug. 29, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-4814-8599-9

Page Count: 128

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2017

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2017

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
ADA LACE SEES RED
by Emily Calandrelli with Tamson Weston ; illustrated by Renée Kurilla

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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)