``Do You Know Me,'' Tapiwa silently projects, glaring at her snobbish classmates as she stalks out of the exclusive school where she's ostracized—though she's at the top of her class- -because her father is a lowly bank teller. The words underline the serious theme of this farcical look at a clash between cultures: middle-class Zimbabwe (where Tapiwa's family lives simply, even though her aunt's husband is ``Minister of Progress'') and the traditions of Father's brother Zeka (who moves in with them after ``bandits'' destroy his village in Mozambique). Endowed with native wit and skills appropriate to a primitive life—though less well equipped with common sense—the entrancing Uncle Zeka wins Tapiwa's cooperation in his disastrous schemes and keeps the loyal affection of her increasingly beleaguered parents through a series of outrageous, embarrassing, sometimes life-threatening mishaps. He almost drowns Tapiwa when she tries to teach him to swim; the swarming bees he's trapped threaten the neighborhood; he doesn't know how to drive, but borrows snooty Aunt Rudo's Mercedes (without permission) and wrecks it. Indeed, he doesn't fit in; and if the conclusion—he gets a job at a research center that values his knowledge of traditional medicine—is overly tidy, it's also a telling comment. Like Jerry Segal's The Place Where Nobody Stopped (1991), an exaggerated, splendidly comical tale enriched by profound undertones. Jackson makes a fine debut with lively full- page drawings reflecting both the humor and the subtler implications. Pronouncing glossary. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: April 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-531-05474-8
Page Count: 106
Publisher: Orchard
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating...
Nicholas is a bright boy who likes to make trouble at school, creatively.
When he decides to torment his fifth-grade English teacher, Mrs. Granger (who is just as smart as he is), by getting everyone in the class to replace the word "pen'' with "frindle,'' he unleashes a series of events that rapidly spins out of control. If there's any justice in the world, Clements (Temple Cat, 1995, etc.) may have something of a classic on his hands. By turns amusing and adroit, this first novel is also utterly satisfying. The chess-like sparring between the gifted Nicholas and his crafty teacher is enthralling, while Mrs. Granger is that rarest of the breed: a teacher the children fear and complain about for the school year, and love and respect forever after.
With comically realistic black-and-white illustrations by Selznick (The Robot King, 1995, etc.), this is a captivating tale—one to press upon children, and one they'll be passing among themselves. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1996
ISBN: 0-689-80669-8
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1996
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.
Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.
Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.
A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: March 28, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016
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