Taking Care of Trouble [Hardcover]

Bonnie Graves (Author), Robin Glasser (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

In this funny, fast-paced middle-grade novel, fifth-grader Joel wants nothing to do with babies. He's the only kid in Junior Adventurers who hasn't passed Emergency Preparedness, and the last thing he needs is a real-life crisis that will mess up his chances. But when his best friend's pretty older sister begs him to help her by taking care of a toddler named Tucker (aka Trouble), he can't say no. And, boy, is he sorry.

During his hair-raising-and hilarious-adventure in baby-sitting, Joel battles putrid diapers, an escaped cockatoo, and a best friend obsessed with capturing footage for World's Funniest Videos. After all this, passing a silly old emergency test looks like a walk in the park.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grades 3-6--Joel Maccarone was the only kid in Junior Adventurers to ever flunk EP (Emergency Preparedness) twice. So when Rachel Rottenberger begs him to take over her baby-sitting duties for a toddler appropriately nicknamed Trouble, Joel's first response is to panic. In the end, however, after a series of hijinks involving an escaped pet, a loony neighbor, and a dirty diaper, the fifth grader saves the day. The characters are believable and the plot, while predictable, is fast paced. This is an early chapter book, the style and humor of which will appeal to emergent readers. Full-page, pen-and-ink illustrations appear throughout.
Robyn Ryan Vandenbroek, Elgin Court Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3-5. Joel has flunked his Emergency Preparedness drill twice and he's dreading taking it again. Next door, Rachel is babysitting for Tucker, a toddler she has nicknamed "Trouble," when she is called away by her own version of an emergency (a popular band is playing at the mall) and cajoles Joel into taking over the job. Inexperienced and unsure, Joel plunges into a scene of mounting chaos, but the situation improves dramatically when he truly takes charge. In the end, he feels ready for any emergency, even the dreaded EP drill. This short chapter book offers laughs as well as a likeable character in a sticky, but believable situation. Glasser's eight lively, full-page drawings reflect the story's empathy and humor. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525468307
• ISBN-13: 978-0525468301
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,379,908 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 The next Beverly Cleary, April 8, 2003

By 

Maureen Fischer (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Taking Care of Trouble (Hardcover)

As with Ms. Grave's other books, my eight-year-old son insisted we read this book in less than two sittings because he wanted to learn the ending. Not only is TROUBLE full of nonstop action, its dialogue, characters (and their ridiculous names), and endless mishaps are funny in a way that's highly appealing to third grade sensibilities. Joel's escapades babysitting Tucker Goodchild remind me of Beverly Cleary's talent for well-paced, rather ingenious plots, and realistic yet humorous detail. This is the kind of chapter book that hooks even a struggling reader. I would highly recommend it for fun bedtime reading.