Stuey is just the right kind of friend—confident and independent—for any third grader.
Stuey is back!
This new installment takes up just where the first left off, with Stuey and his friends comforted that their second-grade teacher, Ginger Curtis, is moving on to third grade with them. Lilly Stanley (the “Queen of Obnoxious”) and best friend Will Fishman are also back—keeping the humor light and the friendship real. Told in Stuey’s own fresh, direct voice, with the school year as the frame, these four loosely joined stories show our hero facing new challenges while growing into a more independent, less worried young man. When Will lets on that Stuey’s dad runs a space center, Stuey comes up with a one-of-a-kind field trip and becomes more comfortable with the fact that his parents are divorced and his father lives far away. Stuey’s older brother Anthony becomes more important to Stuey when they travel alone on a plane to see their dad and plan an unforgettable Mother’s Day celebration. Stuey’s resourcefulness shines in the final tale, when Ms. Curtis decides to end the year with a class pet show. Each story is just the right length for chapter-book readers, peppered with frequent humorous ink drawings. Stuey’s mom’s hair in a car vacuum is an image that most third graders will never forget.
Stuey is just the right kind of friend—confident and independent—for any third grader. (Fiction. 6-10)Pub Date: May 22, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-374-39901-6
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Review Posted Online: March 27, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2012
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level.
A young white girl writes and illustrates a story, which is critiqued by the narrator as it is created.
The girl begins her story by drawing a Hero. Then she thinks maybe a Heroine would be better. Then she decides both will work. She places them in “a good town, filled with good people, called our Setting.” The narrator, an unseen editor who lurks over the artist’s shoulder, tells the storyteller she needs to put in some Conflict, make the Evil Overlord scarier, and give it better action. This tongue-in-cheek way of delivering the rules of creative writing is clever, and paired with Le Huche’s earnest, childlike illustrations, it seems to be aimed at giving helpful direction to aspiring young creators (although the illustrations are not critiqued). But the question needs to be asked: do very young writers really need to know the rules of writing as determined by adults? While the story appears to be about helping young readers learn writing—there is “A Friendly List of Words Used in this Book” at the end with such words as “protagonist” and “antagonist” (glossed as “Hero and Heroine” and “Evil Overlord,” respectively)—it also has a decidedly unhelpful whiff of judgment. Rules, the text seems to say, must be followed for the story to be a Good one. Ouch.
Best for readers who have clearly indicated they would like to take their writing efforts to the next level. (Picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-4814-2935-1
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Paula Wiseman/Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2017
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