Genre: Upper Elementary
Source: I received a copy from StoryOrigin to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Alex Thomas has started sixth grade in the worst way
possible. He has found himself partnered with the new kid, and gotten himself
on the radar of the biggest bully in Timpleville. If I had been introduced to
this author earlier I probably would have looked at the order of books. I know some
of them are middle grade and some are upper elementary books. There is a carry over between them. I have
already read “Remembering Kaylee Cooper” and “Alex Was Here”.
Both of these books are about the main character in this book. In this book
Alex has just started sixth grade. His best friend has moved away and his
brother has moved on to high school. Then Alex is paired up with the biggest
and newest kid in the school, Henry Greenfield.
I was happy to see how the character of Henry had changed from the book “There’s
an Ogre-Beast in the Playground”. It is a small change but that is what we
want to see in a book. If not the characters feel flat. I think I am loving
these books because I teach middle school. For us this begins with sixth grade.
I know a lot of places still have sixth grade as elementary. I see the pecking
order that is shown in this book and understand what the characters are going
through. It is an awkward time for kids. Christopher Francis has done a
wonderful job of capturing this in his books. I have to say well done. I have
somewhere between 10 and 12 more of his books to read and think I will read and
review at least half of them before I move on to other books. After all, why
deviate when you have such good books?