Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins [Hardcover]

Emily Jenkins (Author), Harry Bliss (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: July 24, 2012 | Age Range: 6 - 10 years | Series: Invisible Inkling | Lexile Measure: 520L (What's this?)

It’s Halloween in Emily Jenkins’s Dangerous Pumpkins, the second title in the chapter-book series about a Brooklyn fourth grader and his invisible furry pal.

Hank Wolowitz hates Halloween. Every year his older sister, Nadia, scares him half to death. But Hank’s invisible bandapat, Inkling, loves Halloween. Pumpkins are his favorite food. Hank has serious trouble stopping Inkling from devouring every jack-o’-lantern in their neighborhood, including the ones his sister carves. And that’s not his only problem: Will he ever figure out a cool costume? Will he finally get to pick the holiday flavor in his family’s ice-cream shop? Will Hank ever get revenge on Nadia?

Kids will love Hank and Inkling’s latest adventure, illustrated by acclaimed artist Harry Bliss.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Readers who got to know Hank Wolowitz in Invisible Inkling (HarperCollins, 2011) will be glad to have him back. He is a typical fourth grader living in a cozy Brooklyn neighborhood: his parents run the local ice-cream shop; his teenage sister, Nadia, is kind of a pain; and an invisible bandapat named Inkling lives in his laundry basket. Halloween is fast approaching, and Hank longs to invent this year's special ice-cream flavor. Unfortunately, bandapats love squash, and Inkling just can't help but eat Nadia's carefully carved masterpieces before she can enter them in the Dangerous Pumpkins contest at school. Taking the blame time and time again for Inkling's high jinks, Hank finds himself in trouble and lonely, having offended all of his friends and family members. It looks as if he won't even have the chance to go trick-or-treating this year. In the end, he makes up with his loved ones and finally invents an ice-cream flavor-all thanks to Inkling. Occasional pencil drawings add extra details and personality to the story. Strong family dynamics, a lovable cast of characters, and an invisible bandapat who doesn't quit will have readers of short chapter books looking forward to the next title in this series.-Amanda Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, Madison, WIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Review

“Gentle humor and a realistic urban setting add interest to this solid middle-grade read. Appealing any time of the year.” (Kirkus Reviews )

“Jenkins’s chapter book fantasy, with its strong sense of place and realistic family dynamic, will have new readers wishing for an invisible pal of their own. Bliss’s droll illustrations allow readers to see Inkling in all his furry glory, even when the characters in the book do not.” (The Horn Book )

“The Halloween details, from giant eyeballs to black spiderwebs, in Bliss’ wry, spot drawings add to the farce, and kids will appreciate both the conflicts and Hank’s warm bond with his bossy sidekick.” (Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 6 - 10 years
  
• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Balzer + Bray (July 24, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061802239
• ISBN-13: 978-0061802232
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #247,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write stories for children and adults. Picture books, middle-grade books, and novels. And a long time ago, personal essays.

I can be reached online at www.emilyjenkins.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars fun Halloween read for a 6-10 year old November 5, 2012

By A Reader

Format:Hardcover

I enjoyed this as a fun Halloween read with my six-year-old, who is just starting to graduate from picture books. I read it out loud to her, and she very much enjoyed the silly randomness of an invisible bandapat who is actually real, and eats pumpkins. I liked the characters and appreciated the whiffs of depth and even sadness underlying much of the tale (which was thankfully never enough to bog it down). I also appreciated that the parents were sweet and well-meaning, and the fact that the big sister had enough depth to allow us to sympathize with her, particularly at the end, even though she's the cause of most of Hank's angst.

So, a light read, not too serious, but more than a piece of fluff. It's not a huge favorite or anything, but I'm glad I was able to enjoy it with my daughter in time for Halloween.

3.0 out of 5 stars Review - Invisible Inkling: Dangerous Pumpkins October 30, 2012

By Kris

Format:Hardcover

This is a fun Halloween read. Hank has an invisible, very real, friend (Invisible Inkling) who is alway sgetting him into troubles because of his deep love for pumpkins. Because no one else can see Inkling, Hank often gets into easily misunderstood situations as he cleans up after Inkling's messes. Readers will laugh at Hank's predicaments even as they are able to relate to him with regards to how he's treated by others, his relationship issues with family and friends, and dealing with it all.

Hank's family is a stereotypical one. The older sister (Nadia) is talented and overshadows the little brother (Hank). She's a troubled artist and looks the part, and she loves tormenting her little brother; in fact, one of her pranks on him led to his hatred/fear of Halloween. Hank is the typical dweeb of a little brother, who doesn't really fit into a crowd at school and is always misunderstood. Their parents don't have much personality; they're pretty happy-go-lucky, but they wake up often enough to scold Hank for things he didn't do. Inkling could fit into the family as the baby of the family who's always getting into trouble, causing problems for Hank, and letting Hank take the blame for him. Of course, they all make up somewhere towards the end--for the meantime.

I wouldn't have a problem with sharing this book with middle-grade readers. However, I would want to point out that while there are children treated with Hank, nobody has to put up with unfair treatment and that while isn't nice to pull pranks on people, just because someone does something to you doesn't mean you have to pay them back the same way. Also, that family should stick together. Nadia and Hank don't make up in the best way, but they still form a tentative peace. Hank is still learning how to stand up for him, and it's a work in progress. Hopefully, he finds more self-confidences as he grows older.

4.0 out of 5 stars Dangerous Pumpkins! October 16, 2012

By Mymcbooks

Format:Hardcover

My Review: Invisible Inkling Dangerous pumpkins is a story revolving around Hank and his invisible pet bandipat the Inkling who loves to eat pumpkins. Hank must try to prevent Inkling from eating the neighborhood's Jack- O'-Lanterns.

Hank is also not a fan of Halloween because of his sister Nadia's yearly scare. To him Halloween brings out the evil in her. She and her friends like to scare him and he didn't find it funny at all. Hank is planning his revenge on Nadia while Inkling is taking action.

If your child loves the Wimpy Kid series they would like Invisible Inkling. The illustrations by Harry Bliss are in black and white and helps brings Inkling to life.

Disclaimer: As per FTC guidelines, I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins Publishers in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.