by Sarah Weeks ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 30, 2000
In a fluffy sequel to Regular Guy (1999), Weeks propels her clueless seventh grader into both a hare-brained scheme to reunite his estranged parents and the rocky terra incognita of co-ed friendship. Disgusted by his mother’s oddball taste in dating partners, Guy puts up only weak resistance to his buddy Buzz’s suggestion that he forge a letter of apology from her to his dad. Meanwhile, a forgotten remark about a gravid bullfrog is not only threatening to nip his relationship with classmate Autumn in the bud, but has put him in the way of heavy retribution from her tough friend Lana. Weeks doesn’t stray far from sitcom-style formula, but she saves Guy from major embarrassment and weaves in entertainingly gross humor, highlighted by an all-too-detailed frog dissection in science class and a reference to a revolting party trick Guy’s otherwise straight-arrow father does with raw oysters. After air-clearing confessions, tears, and heart-to-hearts, Dad moves back into the neighborhood, if not back into the house, while Guy and Autumn finally get to the movies together (only to run into Buzz and Lana). Light, readable, familiar fare. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: June 30, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028365-3
Page Count: 176
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2000
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by Sarah Weeks ; illustrated by Lee Wildish
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by Sarah Weeks
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by Kwame Alexander ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2016
A satisfying, winning read.
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Nick Hall is a bright eighth-grader who would rather do anything other than pay attention in class.
Instead he daydreams about soccer, a girl he likes, and an upcoming soccer tournament. His linguistics-professor father carefully watches his educational progress, requiring extra reading and word study, much to Nick’s chagrin and protest. Fortunately, his best friend, Coby, shares his passion for soccer—and, sadly, the unwanted attention of twin bullies in their school. Nick senses something is going on with his parents, but their announcement that they are separating is an unexpected blow: “it’s like a bombshell / drops / right in the center / of your heart / and it splatters / all across your life.” The stress leads to counseling, and his life is further complicated by injury and emergency surgery. His soccer dream derailed, Nick turns to the books he has avoided and finds more than he expected. Alexander’s highly anticipated follow-up to Newbery-winning The Crossover is a reflective narrative, with little of the first book’s explosive energy. What the mostly free-verse novel does have is a likable protagonist, great wordplay, solid teen and adult secondary characters, and a clear picture of the challenges young people face when self-identity clashes with parental expectations. The soccer scenes are vivid and will make readers wish for more, but the depiction of Nick as he unlocks his inner reader is smooth and believable.
A satisfying, winning read. (Fiction. 10-12)Pub Date: April 5, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-57098-6
Page Count: 320
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2016
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by Kwame Alexander & Deanna Nikaido ; illustrated by Melissa Sweet
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by Kwame Alexander ; illustrated by Dare Coulter
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by Marion Jensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 20, 2015
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues.
Deprived of superpowers in the previous episode (Almost Super, 2014), can the Bailey and Johnson clans put aside their squabbles to tackle their common nemesis, the Joneses?
Determined to prove that they have the mettle to join their parents and relatives in fighting crime, 13-year-old Rafter Bailey, his little brother, Benny, and erstwhile rival Juanita Johnson (definitely the brains of the trio) kick off their own search for the Joneses’ secret hideout. Little do they suspect that those clever villains have planted a ringer in their very midst. Sabotage and other distractions ensue, until Juanita’s sudden disappearance sharpens not only the urgency of the search, but also Rafter’s guilt for being a poor friend. The kidnapping turns out to be a crucial mistake for the bad guys, however, as resourceful Juanita gets off a call for help that both brings the Baileys and Johnsons together for a collective rescue operation and, amid much breakage of glass and heroic feats of derring-do, foils the evil schemes of scenery-chewing archfiend October Jones. Rafter makes a likable narrator, emotionally open and determined to be both a good superhero and a good friend.
Like its predecessor, a satisfying, Incredibles-style mix of awesome exploits and common family issues. (Fantasy. 10-12)Pub Date: Jan. 20, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-220958-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Harper/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: Sept. 30, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2014
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