Now that their mom is president of the United States, she doesn’t have much time for fifth grader Cameron and her little sister, Tessa, but there are some perks: The Song Boys will be playing at the White House in support of literacy. The girls are exuberant about the upcoming concert, and Cameron is thrilled to be able to invite her classmates. However, the concert is jeopardized when, among other items, the John Philip Sousa baton used by the Marine Corps Band goes missing. Their thieving, too-big dog, Hooligan, is the prime suspect, and Nate, their sullen cousin, is also behaving suspiciously. After sleuthing around, the sisters solve the mystery, stave off an international incident and save the concert. The snappy narrative weaves in facts on the layout of the White House and how it is run. Great for a parent or teacher looking for a light mystery that portrays two intelligent female protagonists in an unusual setting. When it comes to family and friends, apparently, things are pretty much the same everywhere. (afterword, music and lyrics) (Mystery. 7-11)
Pub Date: Oct. 15, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2267-9
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: Sept. 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Fluffy, fast, fun reading for fans of Clueless McGee and the Wimpy Kid.
Miles used to live near the sea. Miles had friends. Miles was his school's greatest prankster...how will he survive a move to Yawnee Valley?
Yawnee Valley is famous for one thing: cows. All new students at Yawnee Valley Science and Letters Academy receive a booklet of 1,346 interesting cow facts from fussbudget fifth-generation principal Barry Barkin. On the first day of school, when Principal Barkin's car is found mysteriously parked on the school's steps, Barkin suspects Miles and assigns Niles Sparks to be Miles' buddy. Miles can't think of anything more awful than spending every moment of every day with smiling, officious, king-of-the-obvious Niles. On top of that, Barkin's son, Josh, has decided Miles is a good bullying target. To make life interesting, Miles plans a perfect prank in his pranking notebook, but it’s foiled. That's followed by an invitation to join forces in pranking from an unexpected source...no way! Let the prank war commence! Barnett and John launch their cow-resplendent illustrated series with the humorous origin story of the pranking duo who lend the series its name. Characters may be stock; however, the pranks are anything but, and it's peppered with cow facts. Cornell’s goofy cartoon illustrations (especially the blasé cows) add giggles aplenty.
Fluffy, fast, fun reading for fans of Clueless McGee and the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 7-11)Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1491-7
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
This revenger’s comedy, dotted with references to classic plays and philosophical concepts, will be a joy for pranksters and...
When pranking perfection meets the seemingly unprankable foe, who gets the last laugh?
Terrible Two Niles and Miles have been merrily pranking their favorite targets, Principal Barkin and his dim, loathsome son Josh, at school and in town all autumn long. Fed up with the plague of pranks, former Principal Barkin (father of the current one) stages a coup d’état at a school board meeting and takes back his old job. This new-old Principal Barkin is draconian in his control of the school. He hangs a sign counting the days since the last prank…which, since he avows there is no prank if no one reacts (and he never reacts), means there have been no pranks. Miles and Niles despair as one after another of their complex, devious plots are ignored. School becomes unbearable until they seek help from a most unlikely source. Can three succeed where two have failed? John and Barnett’s sophomore effort is as much fun as series opener The Terrible Two (2015). The boys’ history as rivals and their home lives barely receive mention here, so the first volume is a must-read—no hardship. Cornell’s line drawings add to the goofy, deadpan experience.
This revenger’s comedy, dotted with references to classic plays and philosophical concepts, will be a joy for pranksters and seekers of a good-hearted laugh. (Fiction. 8-11)Pub Date: Jan. 12, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-4197-1680-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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