Strasser (Kidnap Kids, 1998, etc.) issues an unsubtle problem-solving clinic built around a baseball teammate’s sudden change of behavior. The fifth and sixth graders who gather to play after school are used to having their games occasionally disrupted by rock-throwing high schoolers, but are taken aback when Jenny, one of their own, starts arguing obvious calls, stalking off in a huff if she doesn’t get her way, and sometimes not showing up at all. Eventually team captains Ian and Krishnan find out what’s up; because Jenny’s stepfather has entered a drug rehabilitation program and her mother has been forced to find a job, Jenny has been saddled with caring for her two-year-old brother for long stretches, a responsibility that she’s really not up to. After a bit of parental prodding, Ian invites Jenny, and her stepbrother Billy, one of the rock throwers, over for pasta and other comforts, persuades his teammates to help keep an eye on Peter, and disarms the high school punks by challenging them to a game. The last two-page chapter acts as a hasty exit, summarizing the resolutions; sports fans—and most other readers—will be disappointed by a near-total lack of action. (Fiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: March 15, 1999
ISBN: 0-399-23124-X
Page Count: 121
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1999
In his quest for easy moolah, Owen learns that the road to financial solvency can be rocky and fraught with work. Greene (Owen Foote, Soccer Star, 1998, etc.) touches upon the often-thorny issue of chores and allowances: Owen’s mom wants him to help out because he’s part of the family and not just for the money—while Owen wants the money without having to do tedious household chores. This universal dilemma leaves Owen without funds and eagerly searching for ways to make a quick buck. His madcap schemes range from original—a “free” toilet demonstration that costs 50 cents—to disastrous, as during the trial run of his children’s fishing video, Owen ends up hooking his ear instead of a trout. Enlisting the aid of his stalwart, if long-suffering, friend Joseph, the two form a dog-walking club that becomes vastly restricted in clientele after Owen has a close encounter with an incontinent, octogenarian canine. Ultimately, Owen learns a valuable lesson about work and money when an unselfish action is generously rewarded. These sudden riches motivate Owen to consider wiser investments for his money than plastic vomit. Greene’s crisp writing style and wry humor is on-target for young readers. Brief chapters revolving around a significant event or action and fast pacing are an effective draw for tentative readers. Weston’s (Space Guys!, p. 392, etc.) black-and-white illustrations, ranging in size from quarter- to full-page, deftly portray Owen’s humorous escapades. A wise, witty addition to Greene’s successful series. (Fiction. 8-10)
Pub Date: Sept. 18, 2000
ISBN: 0-618-02369-0
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2000
PLB 0-688-13166-2 King Midas And The Golden Touch ($16.00; PLB $15.63; Apr.; 32 pp.; 0-688-13165-4; PLB 0-688-13166-2): The familiar tale of King Midas gets the golden touch in the hands of Craft and Craft (Cupid and Psyche, 1996). The author takes her inspiration from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s retelling, capturing the essence of the tale with the use of pithy dialogue and colorful description. Enchanting in their own right, the illustrations summon the Middle Ages as a setting, and incorporate colors so lavish that when they are lost to the uniform gold spurred by King Midas’s touch, the point of the story is further burnished. (Picture book. 7-9)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-13165-4
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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