Have Courage, Hazel Green [Hardcover]

Odo Hirsch (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Hazel Green

Early in the morning, Hazel Green sees a man shouting at a caretaker, Mr. Egozian. She can hardly believe the awful things he is saying! Hazel comes up with a plan to teach him a lesson and help Mr. Egozian--but when her plan backfires, Hazel finds that she's the villain! It will take all her courage and determination, as well as some help from her friend, the Yak, to prove what really happened. This winning tale of a spunky and brave young heroine will surely inspire readers of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5–Hazel Green is back, and in trouble as usual. This time she has overheard the powerful lawyer, Mr. Davis, yelling at her building's kindly custodian, telling him, I don't like you and I don't like your kind. In an attempt to make Mr. Davis feel guilty and apologize, she sets a scene in which she shouts the same words at her friend, the Yak. She is overheard, but instead of making Mr. Davis repent, she gets herself banished from the big building party. Ultimately, with the help of her friends and her own courage, she finds a way to unmask Mr. Davis for who he is and shows everyone what really happened. The slightly choppy text, meandering story, and heavy-handed moral are unlikely to bother young readers, who will be rooting for the protagonist all the way. Hirsch's quirky main characters are interesting and likable, and Hazel and her friends are fairly well rounded. Unfortunately, many of the secondary characters tend to be two-dimensional, and Hazel's parents are rarely seen cardboard cutouts. However, the author's descriptions bring the settings and situations alive, and Hirsch infuses the story with humor and a fairy-tale feel. Libraries in which Hazel Green (2003) and Something's Fishy, Hazel Green (2005, both Bloomsbury) are popular will likely want to add this one. Others looking for fun, easy adventure stories will find it a nice addition, but not a first purchase.–Amy Lilien-Harper, The Ferguson Library, Stamford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Hazel Green shows her mettle by standing up for her convictions. This sequel to H azel Green (2003) and Something's Fishy, Hazel Green (2005) revolves around an incident in her apartment complex. When Hazel overhears her officious neighbor Mr. Davis shouting at the kindly custodian Mr Egozian, "I don't like you and I don't like your kind," she decides to shame Mr. Davis into confessing his fault. Her plan backfires, though, putting Hazel in an uncomfortable position and leaving Mr. Egozian as vulnerable as ever. Clearly this thoughtful novel would be an excellent choice to spark a discussion of ethnic prejudices, but it's the series' original characters that readers will find most engaging: the stubbornly truthful Hazel, her mathematically brilliant but socially challenged friend the Yak, and Marcus, who adores Hazel but doesn't really understand what drives her. First published in Australia, this unusual novel unfolds mainly through the main character's thoughts and conversations. Readers who enjoyed the earlier books will welcome this involving story about quirky, strong-minded Hazel Green. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 262 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (May 30, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582346593
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346595
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,863,385 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not suitable for younger children, March 3, 2010

By 

S. Coleman "Photofan" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Have Courage, Hazel Green (Paperback)

I bought a couple of Hazel Green books from my local bookstore because they were on sale, and looked interesting -- possibly something to bridge the gap between the "Nate the Great" series (which my 8-year-old son has grown out of) and "Harry Potter" (which he finds too scary). Plus, you gotta love a mystery series with a female heroine, right? Well, not so fast. Some of the characters in this novel are appealing, but the content is not at all suitable for younger children, and possibly for older ones too. There are repeated mentions of how one adult character, an immigrant, comes from a country where his people were "slaughtered like sheep," and there is a description of how another character physically abused his wife. I'm all for teaching children that racism exists, but there are other ways of doing that, and the domestic violence part just seemed way out of place for a book of this level. I'd also like to mention that the language is frequently very repetitive, and scenes go on forever with characters rehashing the same point over and over. Admittedly this is quite useful for putting my son to sleep, but I wouldn't call it good literature.