From School Library Journal
Grade 2-3?Larson's attempt to create a credible bully story falls short. Royce is making life miserable for Cody, especially when he begins to challenge Cody's friendship with Quinn, a female classmate. The tension mounts until Cody finally fights back, only to find out that the bully, too, has a vulnerable side. Royce would like to be accepted by the rest of the class, and the story ends with Cody helping him do just that. Although the second graders take on their own personalities as the story unfolds, their teacher hardly emerges at all, and doesn't express any kind of authority to curb Royce's disruptive behavior. While the children are in the foreground of the story, the apparent lack of discipline and structure within the school scenes dramatically weaken it. Joanna Cole's Bully Trouble (Random, 1989) and Laurie Lawlor's How to Survive Third Grade (Albert Whitman, 1988) are much better chapter books for young readers.?Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Gr. 2^-3, younger for reading aloud. Larson explores the issues of second-grade bullies and boy/girl friendships in this beginning chapter book. Cody has always been best friends with Quinn until Royce begins taunting them, "Cody and Quinn, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Cody tries ignoring Royce; when that fails, he retorts that he hates Quinn. She is understandably miffed, forcing Cody to think of some better strategies for dealing with both classmates. Larson has an accurate sense of seven-year-olds' preoccupations and a good ear for dialogue. Although real problems are not always as easily resolved as Cody's, the characters are likable and the solutions believable. A popular choice for beginning readers, to be illustrated with black-line drawings. Kay Weisman
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
