Busted! [Hardcover]

Betty Hicks (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

"Man, thought Stuart, rolling his eyes upward, I've got to be the most in-trouble kid, ever.

He wondered if he could make the Guinness Book of World Records. He'd be willing to bet money that no one else had come close to getting busted as many times as he had."

A tale of friends and family, action-packed sports, and a lot of crossed signals.

Stuart is grounded. Again. His strict mother is always on his case. If he's busted one more time, Stuart may even have to give up soccer. But his best friend, a girl named Mack, hatches a plot to distract his mom by fixing her up with Mack's uncle. It just might work-if their friendship doesn't unravel first. And anyhow, he doesn't want his widowed mom to date. Or does he?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–Stuart, 12, could make the Guinness Book of World Records for most-busted kid in middle school. His mom has an endless series of rules, and he can't seem to get away with anything. He's already grounded, and he's lost phone, computer, and video-game privileges. All that's left is soccer; when Mom threatens to make him quit the team, he decides to take action. Figuring that she'll have less time to obsess about him if she has a boyfriend, he plans to set her up with his soccer coach, but his scheme has unanticipated consequences both on and off the field. Hicks has an ear for the dialogue of middle schoolers, and a good feel for the sometimes rocky relationships between parents and early adolescents. Soccer fans will appreciate the exciting game action as well as the true-to-life interactions among the team members. A winning combination of sports and humor with a subtle message about personal responsibility.–Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-7. Twelve-year-old Stuart Ellis finds that his relationship with his single-parent mom is becoming increasingly prickly. When he is forced to quit the soccer team after he breaks a household rule, he asks his best friend, Mack, for help. Mack is a practical girl with a lot of common sense, but Stuart doesn't approve when she suggests that her uncle date Stuart's mom. Stuart counterstrikes by introducing his mother to his soccer coach, an eligible bachelor. Mom and the coach hit it off, leading to a reversal of Mom's no-soccer ruling. Things go wrong along the way, though, as Stuart finds himself in predicaments on and off the soccer field. The zing in this story comes from the well-drawn, believable characters. Hicks also provides plenty of accurately described soccer action and some funny lines. A few loose ends suggest a sequel, which should please the fans that Stuart and Mack will pick up with this entertaining effort. Todd Morning
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (August 12, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596430044
• ISBN-13: 978-1596430044
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,612,778 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling humorous entertainment, December 17, 2004

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Busted! (Hardcover)

"Busted" by Betty Hicks, is packed full of thrilling humorous entertainment. The hero, Stuart Ellis, is apparently the biggest loser in school; he is grounded for just about the rest of his life. His "dragon breathing" mom would ground him for even blinking the wrong way.

Stuart's best friend Mack knows what to do with any problem he has; however, in a power trip Stuart decides to disown Mack as his friend, which is one of the biggest mistakes of his life. What is he thinking? Stuart tries to hook his mom up with his soccer coach, so it will get her off his back. But getting his mom a boy friend is a lot harder than Stuart imagined and without the help from Mack, he is lost with what to do next.

Then his mom finds a poem Stuart wrote about her for class. She is hurt that it depicts her as an evil, horrible mother; from that day on his mother is more lenient and tries to understand Stuart and his life. However, Stuart is still on path for love in his mother's life. How will he ever bring his mother and Coach together again? Will they ever be reunited?

Perfect for a teenage audience, Busted, offers humor and conflict within each chapter. Hicks uses metaphors and great visuals to portray the character's real emotions. Stuart describes his mother as if she is a fire breathing dragon. The reading level and language is easy to comprehend and is written to appeal to young teenagers. This book could be enjoyed by many different age groups. Can Stuart and Mack ever be friendsagain? Will Stuart's mom put "Dragon Woman" to sleep for good and find a boyfriend? Questions like these will run your mind ragged until you reach the final page.

Reviewed by Orla Walsh for Flamingnet Book Reviews.

For more preteen, teen, and young adult book reviews, please visit www.flamingnet.com.

4.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!, November 29, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Busted! (Hardcover)

This wacky and funny book is a great read for kids and parents. I thought that it was going to be funny, wacky and a good read from the second I looked at the cover, AND I WAS RIGHT!!! So read this sensation by Betty Hicks.