Friday, June 12, 2009

Alvin Ho Allergic To Girls, School And Other Scary Things Lenore Look

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things by Lenore Look illus. LeUyen Pham
Alvin is going into the second grade, and is afraid of pretty much everything. Alvin does a lot of talking at home but at school he can't say a word. I loved this book, from the opening page Alvin Ho is a character you'll want to know. The story begins with Alvin listing six things we should know about him. He also introduces his older brother, Calvin and younger sister Anibelly. Alvin's voice is real, fun and thoughtful, young readers will love it. He's shares his anxiety about school and making friends. I know I am making this book sound serious, and it is partly but the authors does it with a fun light touch.

" I wanted to say no way. Nobody wants a girl desk buddy, except for maybe a girl. The scary thing about girls is that they are not boys. Most girls are no good at robbery and mayhem. They can't punch. But they can kick, which hurts. They skip rope too fast. They are boring. I opened my mouth to tell her all this, but"

This book is great on many levels. There's Alvin at school trying to make friends and not be scared of everything. There's Alvin at home getting advice and bugging his older brother, playing baseball with his grandfather ( GungGung), and the time he spends with his dad. Throughout the book Alvin recalls the rules of being a gentleman his dad taught him. Fans of Blume, Cleary and Clements will love Alvin Ho. The chapters are short and the book has wonderful illustrations making it perfect for reluctant readers. There aren't many books geared toward this age featuring non White characters, making Alvin Ho that much more special. This book is now out in paperback. The second Alvin Ho Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters will be out soon. Ages 7up.

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3 comments:

Mary Ann Scheuer said...

My daughter and I had lots of fun reading this together - we especially laughed at the chapter where Alvin and his classmates share the chickenpox. I'm glad you liked it, too!

Kate Coombs said...

See, I ordered this for our library, but I still need to read it! Thanks for the review. (The quote reminds me of my friend whose son is at the "girls have cooties" stage.)

--Book Aunt

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