The Many Troubles of Andy Russell [Hardcover]

David A. Adler (Author), Will Hillenbrand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up | Series: Andy Russell

Boy, does Andy have troubles! His gerbils escaped and are scampering all over the basement. He's late for school and he sure doesn't want to give that boring Ms. Roman another excuse to call his parents. And he planned to ask his parents today if his good friend Tamika could live with his family until her parents fully recover from a terrible accident. It is definitely not a good day for gerbil troubles. And when Andy learns that his mother is pregnant, he knows he'll have to do some really fancy footwork if his family is going to make room for Tamika. If gerbils threaten to foul up his plan, his meddlesome sister, Rachel, could make matters even worse. It's a good thing for Andy that he's charming and full of bright ideas. As this first chapter book in a new series unfolds, it's clear the Russell household is in for more trouble--and lots of fun!

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Seven of Andy's gerbils have escaped from their cage at home (and his mother hates animals). At school, preoccupied with thoughts of his pets on the loose, the boy offers "China" as the solution to a math problem. And just when he's about to ask his parents if his friend Tamika (whose foster parents are moving away for a year) can come live with the Russell family, he learns that his mother is pregnant. Such are the woes of Andy Russell, whom Adler (author of the Cam Jansen books) introduces in this jaunty novel, the first of a series. Displaying a knack for creating credible characters and amusing dialogue, Adler shapes a cast that youngsters will want to follow up on in future tales. Among them are Tamika, whose birth parents are recovering from a serious car accident; and earnest Bruce, Andy's best friend. Other personalities with potential are Rachel, Andy's snippy older sister, who condescendingly refers to his pets as "mice"; and Stacy Ann, the class brown-noser who corrects Andy's wrong answers "in her best I-know-and-you-don't tone." Though the hero manages to solve his problems this time, it won't be long before he next hits hot water. Readers will likely be standing by when he does. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 3-5-Fourth-grader Andy Russell faces a host of problems over a period of a few days. They range from escaped gerbils to finding out that his mother is pregnant to worrying about a friend who would like to live with Andy's family because her foster parents are going to South America. All of the boy's troubles, though, great or small, are described in a fast-paced, breezy style and kids will be sure to identify with his befuddlement and concerns. Fortunately, Andy's best friend is on hand to supply some funny one-liners. The black-and-white illustrations capture the humor of the story, although readers may be somewhat unsettled by the 180 degree swivel of snotty Stacy Ann's head on one of the pages. This is the first in a series of books about Andy and his friends, a fact that will undoubtedly be good news to many young readers.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; First Edition edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152012958
• ISBN-13: 978-0152012953
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,368,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write both fiction and non-fiction. I begin my fiction with the main character. The story comes later. Of course, since I'll be spending a lot of time with each main character, why not have him or her be someone I like? Andy Russell is based, loosely, on a beloved member of my family. He's fun to write about and the boy who inspired the character is even more fun to know. Cam Jansen is based even more loosely on a classmate of mine in the first grade whom we all envied because we thought he had a photographic memory. Now, especially when my children remind me of some promise they said I made, I really envy Cam's amazing memory. I have really enjoyed writing about Cam Jansen and her many adventures. For my books of non-fiction I write about subjects I find fascinating. My first biography was Our Golda: The Life of Golda Meir. To research that book, I bought a 1905 set of encyclopedia. Those books told me what each of the places Golda Meir lived in were like when she lived there. I've written many other biographies, including books about Martin Luther King, Jr; George Washington; Abraham Lincoln; Helen Keller; Harriet Tubman; Anne Frank; and many others in my Picture Book Biography series. I've been a Yankee and a Lou Gehrig fan for decades so I wrote Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man. It's more the story of his great courage than his baseball playing. Children face all sorts of challenges and it's my hope that some will be inspired by the courage of Lou Gehrig. I am working now on another book about a courageous man, Janusz Korczak. My book One Yellow Daffodil is fiction, too, but it's based on scores of interviews I did with Holocaust survivors for my books We Remember the Holocaust, Child of the Warsaw Ghetto, The Number on My Grandfather's Arm, and Hiding from the Nazis. The stories I heard were compelling. One Yellow Daffodil is both a look to the past and to the future, and expresses my belief in the great spirit and strength of our children. I love math and was a math teacher for many years, so it was fun for me to write several math books including Fraction Fun, Calculator Riddles, and Shape Up! Fun with Triangles and Other Polygons. In my office I have this sign, "Don't Think. Just Write!" and that's how I work. I try not to worry about each word, even each sentence or paragraph. For me stories evolve. Writing is a process. I rewrite each sentence, each manuscript, many times. And I work with my editors. I look forward to their suggestions, their help in the almost endless rewrite process. Well, it's time to get back to dreaming, and to writing, my dream of a job. David A. Adler is the author of more than 175 children's books, including the Young Cam Jansen series. He lives in Woodmere, New York.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great book, April 8, 2005

By 

Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Many Troubles of Andy Russell (Paperback)

Andy Russell is a young boy who's life is full of troubles. His gerbils have escaped. He's having trouble paying attention in class. His best friend needs a place to stay while her parents are recovering from a car accident and he's sure his parents will say no! They just found out his mother is going to have a baby!




What did you like or not like about the book?

This is the first book in the Andy Russell series. Kids will enjoy this and look for the others that follow it.


Would you recommend this book? Why or Why not?
I would recommend this book. I feel that kids can relate to the characters in the book well.

3.0 out of 5 stars Lots of trouble for Andy, February 4, 2002

By 

Kristyn (WI, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Many Troubles of Andy Russell (Hardcover)

Good book for children just starting with chapter books. Everytime Andy turns around it seems that he is getting into trouble, whether its his fault or not. Kids will enjoy the pranks in the classroom and may get into the deeper character of Tanisha, who lives with Andy's family while her parents recover in a rehabilitation center from an accident.

The only reason I didn't give it more stars was how the classroom was described and how the substitute teacher was written. She is new to teaching and walks in not knowing how to handle the class and gives them tasks that are outrageous for their age, yet it seems they complete all the tasks given to them and only complain.