Lenny and Mel (Ready-for-Chapters) [Hardcover]

Erik P. Kraft (Author)

Book Description

Series: Ready-for-Chapters

What do Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, Presidents' Day, Valentine's Day, Cinco de Mayo, and Flag Day have in common? Find out by letting Lenny and Mel take you on a journey through the holidays. See what it takes to be a good student, get fascinating Halloween costume ideas, lose those unsightly leftovers, and pretty much tackle any holiday that fall, winter, or spring can throw at you. Well, maybe not any holiday. But several. Definitely several.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Kraft's (Chocolatina) spirited if uneven tale introduces impish twins who concoct their own zany holiday celebrations. In a chapter about Halloween, Lenny pastes candy wrappers all over himself and goes trick-or-treating as the floor of a movie theater, but a neighbor who misses these subtleties labels Lenny "Trash Day." The description of a New Year's Eve spent trying to stay awake to watch the ball drop in Times Square lacks zing. But readers will chuckle when the twins, tired of eating leftovers after Thanksgiving, stuff the remaining turkey under Mel's pillow so that the Leftover Fairy (who sails through the air in his gravy boat) will take it and leave them cash. On Christmas Eve, deciding that Santa is a vegetarian ("That way, the reindeer don't think he's going to eat them"), the two leave him a snack of a block of cheese decorated with lights and twigs from the tree, which Santa decides to use as a sled ornament. This light caper will hit third-graders' sense of humor dead on, but it's likely to tickle the funny bones of kids more apt to be found plotting a prank than reading a book. Kraft's deadpan cartoon-panel drawings, however, may well get even nonreaders in on the laughs. Ages 7-10.

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grades 2-5--Similar to Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" series and "Ricky Ricotta" books (all Scholastic) in its zaniness, this title will meet the need for more funny books. In nine episodes, Lenny and Mel experience the American holidays in less than typical fashion. From the "Leftover Fairy" who is supposed to exchange all that extra Thanksgiving turkey for cash to the Presidents' Day assignments when the boys spend so much time on the papier-mƒch‚ heads that they forget to prepare the oral report, this title offers a unique approach to celebrating. "Presidents' Day is the day for presidents.-There are a lot of sales on this day." Small line drawings that look as if an eight-year-old drew them add to the fun. There are moments of laugh-out-loud hilarity. There are also a couple of episodes that fall a couple fries short of a Happy Meal, and there's lots of room for improvement in the characterization department. Only the CIP indicates that the boys are twins, and readers may wonder why they are in the same class at school. Still, these light, comic adventures will find a ready audience.

Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing; 1st edition (March 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689841736
• ISBN-13: 978-0689841736
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,890,993 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 very funny, July 23, 2009

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Lenny and Mel (Paperback)

This book is great! A lot of kids should read it! Parents, if you have a kid who can read get it for that kid! Read it yourself too, it's funny! My favorite part is when they use raisins instead of candy in the pinatas.