bullies

Review: Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel

| Tasha

pack of dorks

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel

Lucy just knows that this is the biggest recess of her life, because at recess she will kiss Tom and cement herself as a popular fourth grader along with her best friend Becky.  But after the kiss happens, all she has is a ring that turns her finger green and a sinking feeling about what just happened.  Soon after the kiss, Lucy’s baby sister is born.  Her parents are shocked to have a baby with Downs Syndrome and are caught up in coping with the surprise.  That leaves Lucy alone to cope with the sudden turn of events at school where over the course of a few days she goes from being cool and popular to being one of the lamest kids in the class.  Becky calls Lucy at night to tell her all of the mean things that the other kids are saying about her, claiming that she is still Lucy’s friend but can’t be her friend at school anymore.  In the meantime, Lucy starts to make friends with some of the other kids in her class.  She does a project on wolves with Sam, a very quiet boy who is bullied by the same kids.  Out of that project and her growing group of outcast friends, Lucy decides that the only solution for them is to become their own pack.

Vrabel captures elementary school perfectly with its confusing social pressures that keep people conforming to the norm.  She manages to keep everything at just the right level, never becoming melodramatic about the situation.  At the same time, it is clear how devastating the bullying is to Lucy.  While she has a supportive family, they are distracted by the new baby and rightly so.  Her new little sister helps be a guide for Lucy forward, and is a very smart addition to the story, allowing Lucy her growth and also serving as an example of someone who will also need their own pack to support her.

Lucy is a character who becomes more likeable as the book progresses.  At first with her quests for popularity and kisses, Lucy is shallow but after she becomes shunned by the popular crowd she immediately reveals how smart and strong she actually is.  Vrabel’s brilliant combination of wolf packs and middle school bullies adds strength to the entire novel.

A smart book on bullies, differences and disabilities, this novel is one that will make a great read aloud for elementary classes.  Appropriate for ages 8-11.

Reviewed from library copy.

Review: Miss Brooks’ Story Nook by Barbara Bottner

| Tasha

miss brooks story nook

Miss Brooks’ Story Nook by Barbara Bottner, illustrated by Michael Emberley

A sequel to Miss Brooks Loves Books, this picture book celebrates story telling.  Missy loves going to Miss Brook’s Story Nook right before school each day.  She takes the long way to school, because otherwise she has to go past Billy Toomey’s house and he steals her hat and yells at her.  Then one day at Story Nook, the power goes out so they have to tell their own stories.  Missy though insists that she’s a reader not a storyteller.  But soon she is telling her own story, inspired by Billy Toomey.  It is the story of an ogre named Graciela who has a pet snake that escapes.  The trick is that Missy needs to figure out a satisfying ending to her story of an ogre and a bully.

Bottner has created another engaging story filled with humor and clever solutions.  Miss Brooks is inspiring with her enthusiasm for books and stories and the way she encourages the children to keep making their stories better.  It’s a joy to see Missy tell her very creative story, struggle with some of it but persevere and create a satisfying tale for the entire class to enjoy.

Emberley’s illustrations add a lot of zing to the book.  He captures moods so clearly in his characters from the jaunty excitement of Miss Brooks to Missy’s ever-changing moods.  They are told through expressions and also body language. 

Smart and funny, this is a book to inspire young readers to create their own stories just like Missy.  Appropriate for ages 6-8.

Reviewed from digital copy received from Edelweiss and Random House.