Bobby vs. Girls Accidentally

Yee, Lisa. 2009. Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally). Illustrated by Dan Santat. 170 pages.

The Ellis-Chan family heard the screams before they even entered Wild Acres Amusement Park.

Is fourth grade better than third? Can a boy have a girl best friend? Even if all the other boys (and girls) think it's weird? Can a boy really, truly love a goldfish? Bobby Ellis-Chan is a cute little narrator. He's got a few problems to solve in Bobby vs. Girls, but it's nothing he can't handle. It all starts when his very best friend, Holly, comes back from summer vacation acting like a girl. She's wearing her hair differently. She's dressing differently. She's not quite as interested in collecting rocks as she used to be. She--dare he even say it--is starting to want to shop more than before. Why is she acting like a girl? Wearing polish on her nails? And why oh why does she have to start hanging out with Jillian. These two friends become rivals (accidentally) during the class election. Who will win? The boys or the girls? Bobby or Holly?

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed Gets A Job

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2009. Piper Reed Gets a Job. Henry Holt. 160 pages.

Beep, beep. Six thirty. I turned off the alarm, threw off my covers, and popped out of bed. My insides did flip-flops. There was something exciting about the first day of school.

Piper Reed is excited (at first) to be entering fifth grade. Until she learns she's in the same classroom and has the same teacher. Why oh why (in her opinion) did mean old Ms. Gordon have to move to teaching fifth grade? Ms. Gordon is prejudiced against Piper--thinks she's one big mess, that's what--and school isn't turning out to be that much fun. Fortunately for Piper, she's soon distracted, and school becomes the very last thing on her mind.

What is Piper dreaming about these days? Well, she wants her Gypsy Club to have a clubhouse. And she thinks it will take $1,999.99. (Which is so not the same as $2,000. And don't even try explaining tax to young Piper.) Can Piper think of a clever way to earn money? Piper tries doing lots of different jobs in this book. And it turns into quite a funny ordeal. Can Piper (and her sisters) learn the value of money?

Piper reminded me so much of myself. The way this girl procrastinates. The way she pushes the homework out of her mind completely. The way she's able to find time for everything else in her life. It was definitely enjoyable to read this third adventure with Piper!

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed The Great Gypsy

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2008. Piper Reed The Great Gypsy. 160 pages. Henry Holt.

My little sister, Sam, knelt on the sofa, staring out the window.

This is Piper Reed's second adventure. And I'm not sure, but this one may just be my favorite of the three that I've read so far. Piper is the middle child. She's got an older sister, Tori, and a younger sister, Sam. And sometimes she just doesn't get why her parents fuss over the other two more than her. (Why do both sisters have to be so smart, so brilliant. Why can't they be average like her?) We see Piper interacting with family and friends in this one. We've got an episodic plot with each chapter focusing on one month. We're counting down the months until her father returns and counting down the months until the big pet show Piper's dreamed up.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

Piper Reed, Navy Brat

Holt, Kimberly Willis. 2007. Piper Reed, Navy Brat. Henry Holt. 146 pages.

It was pizza night.

Meet Piper Reed. She's a middle child. And she's a handful. A lovable handful though. Her father is in the navy which means the whole family is in the navy. In this book--the first in the series--Piper learns that the family is moving to Florida. What will that move mean for the whole family? for Piper? Will she make new friends? Will she get her Gypsy Club started again? Will she ever get along with her sisters?

This is an enjoyable book, and a great start to the series.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers

The Unfinished Angel

Creech, Sharon. 2009. The Unfinished Angel. 164 pages. HarperCollins.

Peoples are strange!
The things they are doing and saying--sometimes they make no sense. Did their brains fall out of their heads? And why so much saying, so much talking all the time day and night, all those words spilling out of those mouths? Why so much? Why don't they be quiet?

This is a strange but strangely lovely little book. Very quirky. Not for everyone. But for some readers, this may be a delightful little read. It's narrated by an angel, an angel who feels a little 'unfinished' at times. He (or she for that matter, I don't know that it ever says one way or the other...at least not that I can recall) has been living in a stone tower of the Casa Rosa, a tiny village in the Swiss Alps for centuries. This angel has watched over the villagers for hundreds and hundreds of years. Sometimes choosing to get involved, and sometimes not so much. This book takes place at a time when the angel is choosing to become involved--mainly because of a lovely but lonely little girl named Zola.

Me, I am an angel. I am supposed to be having all the words in all the languages, but I am not. Many are missing. I am also not having a special assignment. I think I did not get all the training. (2)

You won't believe this, but there are peoples who pay money to other peoples to wash their hairs and even to paint colors on their toes. Is really! And in the same world of peoples there are other peoples who have to crawl in the dirt scrounging for a measly piece of garbage to eat. I am not fabbagrating. Don't get me started.
At night I swish in the heads of the peoples with the clean hairs and feets, showing them the peoples crawling in the dirt, but in the morning when the clean peoples wake up they have already forgotten. I think maybe it is my fault that they forget so quick and so it is my fault that there are peoples who have to crawl in the dirt. I am not knowing enough. What are the other angels doing? (26-27)

I am a little crankiful when I am not sleeping well. (60)

As I said, this one might not appeal to every reader. But I think it is delightful in its own little way. I thought it was an interesting book with a unique narrative voice. The word choice and style may be a little off-putting for some readers, but it may work well with others. I know that I'll probably be borrowing words like crankiful. I only wish I'd thought to make a list of all the words I liked. Some were really quite clever.

© Becky Laney of Young Readers