Alex Ryan, Stop That! [Hardcover]

Claudia Mills (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

A wise guy gets wise

The school year is almost over, and Alex Ryan still has plenty of pranks to pull and jokes to tell. Then his dad attends the meeting about the seventh-grade outdoor education trip. Alex knows nothing good can come of this -- Mr. Ryan is a jester, too, and the butt of his funny stories is often Alex. Still, Alex is not prepared for the comment that mortifies him in front of pretty, popular Marcia Faitak, his friend Dave Barnett, and the rest of his classmates. When Marcia tries to comfort him, Alex pounces on her. Marcia crumples, and Alex sets out to make up for his remark, even as he struggles to understand what impelled it. When all his attempts at reconciliation fail, Alex conceives a plan, to be executed during the outdoor ed trip. A surefire attention-getter, this should bring Marcia around, entertain Dave, and impress Alex’s father. But is this really what Alex wants to do?

In the fourth book about the kids at West Creek Middle School, readers will root for Alex Ryan as he discovers his true self, and the wisest way to handle the most oppressive person in his life -- his own father.

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-The gang from West Creek Middle School is together again, and this time wisecracking, mischief-making Alex Ryan is in the spotlight. Seventh grade is quickly coming to an end, and things have not been going the way he planned, especially with his classmate Marcia. No matter what Alex says or does, he seems to upset her, as one minute he is playing tricks and the next he is trying to smooth things over. And the prospect of the event of the year, the outdoor education trip, does not help him feel better, especially since his ever-critical father has volunteered to be a chaperon. To make the event fun and unforgettable, Alex and his friend Dave come up with a "plan," but the prank goes awry, Marcia breaks her ankle, and the protagonist learns a lot about honesty and bravery. Mills has a knack for getting into the confused minds of kids on the verge of adolescence. She carefully exposes Alex's bewilderment, making for a touching and funny read. Andrew Clements's A Week in the Woods (S & S, 2002) is another good choice about kids heading for the wilderness.
Laura Reed, Pickering Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. In this fourth entry in the West Creek Middle School series, a follow-up to Lizzie at Last (2000), Mills focuses on Alex Ryan, class clown and prankster of the seventh grade. Alex's Dad has volunteered to chaperone the students on an outdoor education experience, and Alex is upset because he's often the brunt of his father's caustic humor. Meanwhile, in a futile attempt to convey his admiration for the pretty, popular Marcia Faitak, Alex manages to completely insult her. His efforts to repair the damage include a stunt involving a fake rattlesnake, which results in Marcia's breaking her leg and Alex mistakenly being hailed as a hero for rescuing her. Eventually the truth comes out and Alex learns from his behavior, even as his father remains completely clueless about his own. Mills has a great ear for middle-school dialogue, and her characters ring true. Readers are sure to identify with Alex, his friends, and the problems they face and will appreciate that, at least in Mill's world, these problems can be solved. This book can stand alone, but expect requests for the previous titles in this humorous series. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR); 1st edition (April 8, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374346550
• ISBN-13: 978-0374346553
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,454,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars The fourth in the West Creek series - does not disappoint, January 2, 2008

By 

Michaele L. (Fort Lauderdale, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Alex Ryan, Stop That! (Hardcover)

Claudia Mills has done it again!

This book is the fourth in the series about the West Creek Middle School Gang and is wonderful insofar as we get to take a look at life from the viewpoint of Alex Ryan. Readers of the first three books will certainly recall Alex, the wisecracking boy who LOVES to tease and make people laugh. In the fourth book of the series, readers discover WHY Alex is the way he is and what makes him tick. We also see what happens when a joke is carried too far but we also witness Alex shining through at the book's ending that is truly inspiring.

Readers are sure to identify with Alex through his adventures. Enjoy!