It Only Looks Easy [Hardcover]

Pamela Swallow (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Before the first day of seventh grade is over, Kat Randall's year is nearly ruined. When her beloved dog, Cheddar, is run over by a woman with Alzheimer's disease, Kat reacts impulsively, leaving school on a "borrowed" bike. If "one of the best years" of her life starts out like this, what's next?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-On her first day in seventh grade, Kat Randall learns that her impetuosity can lead to serious consequences. After her beloved retriever is hit by a car driven by an elderly woman with Alzheimer's, Kat cannot wait any longer to hear about her dog's condition; she "borrows" a bike from school grounds and heads to the vet. Cheddar will ultimately pull through but Kat's troubles have just begun, because the bike gets stolen and she must earn the money to replace it. More bikes are taken from school and the police view Kat as a suspect. She becomes increasingly involved with Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence (the woman who hit Cheddar), staying with her so that her husband can occasionally get out. Kat's generous, impulsive nature is still in evidence, but she slowly learns responsibility, realizing that everyone deals with issues of one sort or another. Ultimately, the thieves are caught, Kat is exonerated, and she regains her sense of being a person who can be relied upon to do the right thing. Kat is a funny, warmhearted character whose voice immediately grabs readers. Snappy dialogue, sympathetic adults as well as unpleasant ones, and descriptions of the ways in which an action can have major repercussions all add to this touching, perceptive, highly readable novel that is sure to strike a chord with readers.
B. Allison Gray, South Country Library, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Gr. 4-7. Genuine kid humor and a good-hearted, all-too-human heroine distinguish this middle-grade novel about an unlikely juvenile delinquent. Seventh grader Kat Randall is not your typical criminal. Her good reputation begins to unravel, however, after her dog Cheddar gets hit by a car and her integrity is trumped by impulsiveness. Wild to find out how her injured dog is faring, she cuts classes to visit the vet--on a borrowed bicycle, no less. When someone steals the borrowed bike before she can return it, Kat's moment of haste manifests itself as a police record. This is serious, (very serious, Mom adds), but Kat manages to mitigate the circumstances with a good sense of humor--something she will need while baby-sitting for the rest of her life to pay for the stolen bike. On the road to restitution, Kat learns a few lessons about compassion--for the woman with Alzheimer's who was driving the car that hit Cheddar, and even for an actual bike thief who is roaming her town. A well-rounded offering. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (January 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761328661
• ISBN-13: 978-0761328667
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,105,646 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book.., February 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: It Only Looks Easy (Single Titles) (Hardcover)

I loved this book because Kat is a lot like me and my friends in seventh grade. She loves animals, especially her dog and she would do anything to see him safe. It made me think about what I would have done if I were in her place and how hard it is to always know when to do the right thing.I kept wanting to turn the pages to find out what was happening next.It's the kind of book that has you laughing one minute and almost crying the next. It's my favorite book so far this year.Ellie P., from Easton, Pa.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book.., February 17, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: It Only Looks Easy (Single Titles) (Hardcover)

I loved this book because Kat is a lot like me and my friends in seventh grade. She loves animals, especially her dog and she would do anything to see him safe. It made me think about what I would have done if I were in her place and how hard it is to always know when to do the right thing.I kept wanting to turn the pages to find out what was happening next.It's the kind of book that has you laughing one minute and almost crying the next. It's my favorite book so far this year...

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars it only looks easy, August 27, 2009

By 

Heather Goodridge (Sterling, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: It Only Looks Easy (Single Titles) (Hardcover)

i loved this book! it realy opened my heart. kat reminds me of me and most of my friends we all care for animals. we will do any thing for dogs especaly. i think kat is a great person and very kind when she helped mrs. lawrence. i think this book will take the reader and put them in the spot to see what it is like to be accused of taking the bike when kat realy didnt. i would do the same thing if i were kat.