Clears the low bar for children’s books about ASL and Deafness.
Third grader Boogie Bass isn’t good at anything until he starts a sign language program, where he finally gets a chance to shine.
During a four-week after-school program, Boogie and his friends begin learning American Sign Language and prepare to put on a show for students from a school for the Deaf as a final project. Also, Boogie needs to fix his baby brother’s stuffed dog, which he accidentally allowed their real dog to chew. This subplot does not intersect significantly with the sign language plot except as a means to make Boogie feel bad about himself. Unfortunately, his lack of confidence does not make him an approachable character; instead, Boogie comes off as a sad sack, that dark cloud of a friend who can’t let a conversation pass without mentioning their shortcomings, though readers might blame this on his hypercritical mother. The author has clearly been exposed to Deaf culture and makes a valiant effort to educate readers. In fact, the text has the preachy tone of an elementary reader. While none of the information folded into the story is factually incorrect, the Deaf characters ultimately exist as props to support the hearing characters’ growth. Their language is praised for its usefulness to hearing people. Boogie is White; his best friend, Nolan, is Indian American; and his two other friends are Vera, who’s Black, and Nixie, who’s White.
Clears the low bar for children’s books about ASL and Deafness. (additional information) (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Aug. 3, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-8234-4629-2
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Margaret Ferguson/Holiday House
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2021
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists.
How to raise money for a coveted poster: put your friends to work!
John, founder of the FUBU fashion line and a Shark Tank venture capitalist, offers a self-referential blueprint for financial success. Having only half of the $10 he needs for a Minka J poster, Daymond forks over $1 to buy a plain T-shirt, paints a picture of the pop star on it, sells it for $5, and uses all of his cash to buy nine more shirts. Then he recruits three friends to decorate them with his design and help sell them for an unspecified amount (from a conveniently free and empty street-fair booth) until they’re gone. The enterprising entrepreneur reimburses himself for the shirts and splits the remaining proceeds, which leaves him with enough for that poster as well as a “brand-new business book,” while his friends express other fiscal strategies: saving their share, spending it all on new art supplies, or donating part and buying a (math) book with the rest. (In a closing summation, the author also suggests investing in stocks, bonds, or cryptocurrency.) Though Miles cranks up the visual energy in her sparsely detailed illustrations by incorporating bright colors and lots of greenbacks, the actual advice feels a bit vague. Daymond is Black; most of the cast are people of color. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
It’s hard to argue with success, but guides that actually do the math will be more useful to budding capitalists. (Picture book. 7-9)Pub Date: March 21, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-593-56727-2
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Random House
Review Posted Online: Dec. 13, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2023
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode.
A long-running series reaches its closing chapters.
Having, as Kline notes in her warm valedictory acknowledgements, taken 30 years to get through second and third grade, Harry Spooger is overdue to move on—but not just into fourth grade, it turns out, as his family is moving to another town as soon as the school year ends. The news leaves his best friend, narrator “Dougo,” devastated…particularly as Harry doesn’t seem all that fussed about it. With series fans in mind, the author takes Harry through a sort of last-day-of-school farewell tour. From his desk he pulls a burned hot dog and other items that featured in past episodes, says goodbye to Song Lee and other classmates, and even (for the first time ever) leads Doug and readers into his house and memento-strewn room for further reminiscing. Of course, Harry isn’t as blasé about the move as he pretends, and eyes aren’t exactly dry when he departs. But hardly is he out of sight before Doug is meeting Mohammad, a new neighbor from Syria who (along with further diversifying a cast that began as mostly white but has become increasingly multiethnic over the years) will also be starting fourth grade at summer’s end, and planning a written account of his “horrible” buddy’s exploits. Finished illustrations not seen.
A fitting farewell, still funny, acute, and positive in its view of human nature even in its 37th episode. (Fiction. 7-9)Pub Date: Nov. 27, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-451-47963-1
Page Count: 80
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Sept. 16, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2018
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