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THE BEST FRIEND BATTLE

Name: THE BEST FRIEND BATTLE
Author: Lindsay Eyre
ISBN: 978-0-545-62027-7

by Lindsay Eyre ; illustrated by Charles Santoso ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 31, 2015

A good read-aloud for second grade or an independent read for a third grader.

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Nine-year-old Sylvie Scruggs becomes obsessed with the notion that she must provide her best friend, Miranda Tan, with a birthday present superior to the one given by Sylvie’s baseball rival, Georgie Diaz.

Sylvie is appalled when Miranda cheers for both Sylvie and Georgie at a baseball game and becomes increasingly worried when she learns that Miranda and Georgie grew close while Sylvie was on a family vacation. The plot revolves mostly around Sylvie’s bumbling attempts to make right a situation she has created: the somewhat accidental theft of Georgie’s new pet ferret. Sylvie’s mother perfectly pegs Sylvie’s personality when she reports to Sylvie’s dad about Sylvie’s day: “No major disasters to report. Just worrying about things she doesn’t need to worry about. Like usual.” Sylvie tells the tale, and while it may well leave younger children laughing, the recommended upper range of 10 seems a stretch. Younger children will enjoy the fact that Sylvie is less mature than almost anyone else in the book, while older kids may wince at her foibles, her erroneous vocabulary choices and her ignorance of the word “indigestion.” The debut novel deftly presents a multiethnic neighborhood, including some Spanish words from Georgie’s abuela. The simple but expressive grayscale illustrations complement the book’s humorous tone.

A good read-aloud for second grade or an independent read for a third grader. (Fiction. 7-9)

Pub Date: March 31, 2015

ISBN: 978-0-545-62027-7

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Levine/Scholastic

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
THE MEAN GIRL MELTDOWN
by Lindsay Eyre ; illustrated by Sydney Hanson

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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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THE CONTRACT

by Derek Jeter with Paul Mantell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 23, 2014

Plenty of baseball action, but the paint-by-numbers plot is just a vehicle for equally standard-issue advice. .

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For his eponymous imprint, the New York Yankees star leads off with a self-referential tale of Little League triumphs.

In the first of a projected 10 episodes based on the same number of “Life Lessons” espoused by the lead author’s Turn 2 Foundation, third-grader Derek turns in an essay announcing that his dream is to play shortstop for the New York Yankees (No. 1 on the Turn 2 list: “Set your goals high”). His parents take him seriously enough not only to present him with a “contract” that promises rewards for behaviors like working hard and avoiding alcohol and drugs, but also to put a flea in the ear of his teacher after she gives him a B-minus on the essay for being unrealistic. Derek then goes on to pull up his math grade. He also proceeds to pull off brilliant plays for his new Little League team despite finding himself stuck at second base while the coach’s son makes multiple bad decisions at shortstop and, worse, publicly puts down other team members. Jeter serves as his own best example of the chosen theme’s theoretical validity, but as he never acknowledges that making the majors (in any sport) requires uncommon physical talent as well as ambition and determination, this values-driven pitch is well out of the strike zone.

Plenty of baseball action, but the paint-by-numbers plot is just a vehicle for equally standard-issue advice. . (foundation ad and curriculum guide, not seen) (Fiction. 7-9)