Cody's Secret Admirer (Puffin Chapters) [Paperback]

Betsy Duffey (Author), Ellen Thompson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 1 and up | Series: Puffin Chapters

A Valentine from a secret admirer. What could be worse?

February is going fine for third-grader Cody Michaels -- until one day when he comes home from school to find a valentine addressed to him, and signed by a secret admirer! Yikes. Who can it be? And what does it mean? A third grader isn't ready for a girlfriend, at least not Cody. In Betsy Duffey's third book featuring Cody Michaels, Valentine's Day just keeps getting worse. As if a secret admirer isn't bad enough, soon Cody begins getting the idea that his parents are fixing to put him into an arranged marriage!

With realistic paintings in black and white by Ellen Thompson and Betsy Duffey's perfectly-timed sense of humor, Cody's Secret Admirer is the ideal antidote to give any third grader in a rush to grow up.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-4-In this light, fast-paced novel, Cody Michaels's overactive imagination blows small incidents into memorable events. The nine year old is alternately horrified and intrigued when he receives a mushy valentine from a secret admirer. Pretending to be Double-O Cupid, he begins spying on his female classmates with disastrous results. In the middle of this muddle, he makes a second discovery. The Avanis, future house guests from India, are bringing him a surprise that will "become a member of his family." Cody, now preoccupied by love interests, wildly jumps to the conclusion that he is about to become the victim of an arranged marriage. The tension is quickly and satisfactorily resolved when Mr. Avani gives Cody a pet turtle and a sixth-grade girl tells him that she sent the valentine by mistake. While Cody seems as natural and unintentionally funny as the boy readers met in the earlier two books, his "Top Ten" lists scattered throughout the story have a forced ring to them. However, Duffey successfully demonstrates her intimate knowledge of her audience in her realistic classroom scenes and in her portrayal of third-grade social dynamics. The Valentine's Day preoccupations, preparations, and party are particularly good. Thompson's appealing black-and-white illustrations build on the humor found in the text. While this is not the best book about Cody, it will find a ready audience.
Maggie McEwen, Coffin Elementary School, Brunswick, ME
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 2^-3. In the third funny chapter book about nine-year-old Cody, he is appalled to receive a valentine. It's "gross." Who can his secret admirer be? And what if his parents' friends from India are arranging a surprise marriage for him? Luckily, their surprise turns out to be, not a bride, but a pet turtle. What kids will relate to is Cody's latest hobby of making top 10 lists, from "Top Ten Things You Hate to Hear Your Mother Say" to "Top Ten Things I Love." There is a wonderful immediacy to Cody's loves and hates, caught as he is "in that in-between age between first love and Sesame Street." It's the combination of the cosmic and the trivial that hits home. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0141305657
• ISBN-13: 978-0141305653
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #123,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Children's Books > Holidays & Celebrations > Thanksgiving

More About the Author

Betsy Duffey began writing in 1990 and has published over twenty children's books, including a number of popular series. Her books have been Junior Library Guild selections, Crown Award nominees, and have been nominated for state awards in over twenty states including the California Young Reader Medal, the Texas Bluebonnet Award and the Florida Sunshine State Young Reader Award. Her books have been Parent's Choice and Children's Choice selections. Betsy's books have been translated into Japanese, Korean, Dutch and Danish, and included in numerous book clubs.

Betsy lives with her husband, Bill, and puppy, Arlo, in Atlanta. She currently writes with her sister, Laurie Myers. You can visit them at their facebook page: Writing Sisters or at writingsisters.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Read Aloud Winner, January 29, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cody's Secret Admirer (Library Binding)

I have shared this book with third and fourth graders and both groups have loved it. Boys were laughing and obviously fully in touch with Cody. Parents in the book come across as caring and loving...always a plus these days. The top ten lists are winners.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars book review, October 21, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Cody's Secret Admirer

There is a kid named Cody Michaels and he got home from school and he checked the mail. He found a letter to him and it was a valitine and he told his best friend Chip to help him find out who his secret admirer is. So he thought his new name should be Double-o-Cupid. Instead of going to recess he went and searched everybody's desk to see who had a purple pen or to see who dotted their eyes with a heart. But then when he searched the last desk, which was P.J.'s, and to see it so he slipped it into P.J.'s desk. So then later on that day she pulled the Valentine out on accident and read it and said, "Eww," in front of the whole class and she passed the card around to everybody. Then she gave it back to Cody. Then he found out that his mom was having a friend come down from India, who's name is Sunda, and he is a special visitor to Cody's class. My opinion of this book was boring.

2.0 out of 5 stars Cody's Secret Admirer, February 9, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Cody's Secret Admirer (Puffin Chapters) (Paperback)

One day Cody Michaels stoped at his mail box and finds a letter in the mail from a secret admirer. The letter was written in purple, the I's were dotted with hearts, and she really likes bees. Cody has a friend coming and she is bringing a suprise for him and he thinks he is getting married. Cody's class is having a valentines party and he is trying to find out who sent him the letter. he couldnt find out at the party so he just kept searching for who sent him the letter. His parents friends get thier so he thinks he is getting marrried cause they are bringing him a suprise. It turns out the suprise they are bringing him is a tortise. The letter was suposed to be sent to a kid named Michael Cody. The whole thing was a mistake.