OGGIE COODER, PARTY ANIMAL!
by Sarah Weeks and illustrated by Doug Holgate
Excited by an invitation to a neighbor’s birthday party, oddball fourth grader Oggie Cooder is willing to do almost anything to enjoy the perfect Donnica’s kidney-shaped pool and piggies-in-a-blanket, even memorize the 100 rules the class queen bee hoped would keep him away. Familiar middle-grade humor and an accurate portrayal of elementary-school friendship issues characterize this welcome sequel about the cheese-charving (that’s chewing and carving chunks of cheese) Wisconsin boy. Oggie’s physical and social awkwardness are exaggerated but will certainly be recognizable to intended readers, as will the bullying Donnica and her sidekicks. With all his weirdnesses, Oggie still manages to find friends and even provide Donnica with the one thing she really wanted for her birthday. A fast-paced chapter book with cheerful cartoon illustrations provided by Holgate, this can easily be read on its own and will certainly win Oggie new fans. (Fiction. 7-10)