March 1, 2012
Gr 3-5-Mason Dixon is now starting fourth grade-the grade everyone looks forward to because it means joining the Plainfield Platters chorus. Mason, haunted by a kindergarten assembly embarrassment, does everything in his power to avoid participating. He and his parents strike a just-try-it-out deal, and he comes up with the idea of serving as the one-man stage crew. Surprisingly, the plan flies, but Mason finds himself in the spotlight-singing-in the end, coming to his best friend's rescue when Brody freezes up during a solo. Hilarious yet believable twists (Mason's dog eats the school mascot, a plush dragon) and deadpan humor make this glimpse into fourth-grade life a treat.-Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, WI -
Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2012
Mason is an only child who likes his room clean, his socks brown, and his food plain. His parents have other ideas about what's good for him, and he's nudged further out of the box by his enthusiastic best friend, Brody. The stories' conflicts involve bullies, art projects, choir practice, and hurt feelings. Both books are entertaining, if a little bland.
(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)