Friday, June 27, 2014

Kate the Great (Except When She's Not) by Suzy Becker -- OPTIONAL

Becker, Suzy Kate the Great (Except When She's Not), 273 pgs. Random House Children's Books, August 5, 2014. $12.99. Content: PG.

Fifth-grader Kate is having a tough year. Her parents are scoring way high on the Cringe-O-Meter. Her older sister has suddenly become perfect. Her younger sister is way too cute. Her art teacher has no appreciation for her individual artistic style. Worst of all, she's supposed to become friends with Nora, the weird, unfriendly girl who sits in front of her on the bus. But thanks to an awesome best friend and an outlet in the form of doodles (spread throughout the book), Kate may make it to her tenth birthday after all.

Although the illustrations interspersed throughout were a fun touch, the story itself did not feel special enough to stand on its own without them. It was also confusing in a number of spots, both because the text did not always read smoothly, and because the handwriting in many of the doodles was difficult to decipher. As a result, I felt like I missed out on a lot. That said, it may be fun for girls in grades 3-5 who are navigating friendship issues or who enjoy the illustrated style.

EL -- OPTIONAL. Reviewer: Caryn



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