Bobby The Brave (Sometimes) Lisa Yee - Dan Santat

Bobby The Brave (Sometimes) by Lisa Yee, illus by Dan Santat

This is the second book in the Bobby Ellis- Chan series. Bobby's still in the fourth grade. In the first book, at a time when boys and girls shouldn't be friends, Bobby comes to terms with having a best friend who is a girl. Now Bobby and Holly's friendship is as strong as ever.

This time Bobby worries what is ex pro football father (aka the Freezer) thinks of him, when over hears him say "He's not like me" Annie, his older sister, is the football star. Bobby is into skateboarding. I love the time the author spends developing Ellis -Chan family. It adds so much to the story. We know Casey, the younger sister likes making up silly names, like wormy worm worm for her pet worm. Annie, the older sister is the star QB on her high school football time. Bobby mother goes to work and his father looks after the kids. (making uneatable food)

The fourth grade class is putting on Annie. Bobby is happy to play Sandy, the dog, so he won't have to learn any lines. Bobby loves dog but can't have one because of his asthma. Unfortunately, his costume is too close to the real thing. The new gym teacher assumes Bobby can play football when he finds out who is father his. Bobby must also contend with a scary cat with 27 toes, being picked last in gym class and Jillian Zarr.

Bobby's voice is perfect as is Yee's dialogue. As popular as skateboarding is there aren't many books with a main character that skateboards. Bobby is very good and loves the sport. Troy Eagle is his idol.

"Bobby was a good solid skate boarder. Not showy, but not a wimp either. He'd study the bigger kids and then start off slow, working his way up to the trick, whether it was as simple as a nosegrind or as hard as an aerial. Though he still had trouble grabbing his board while flying though the air, he was getting better. "

Dan Santat's illustrations are great. My favorite is of Bobby and Casey coming face to face with the neighborhood cat with 27 toes. The picture of Bobby's gym teacher breaking out the classic Freezer move in front of the entire class was a close second.

It very difficult to find books with male protagonist for ages 9 and up. This entertaining, well written and funny series helps fill that void. Book one Bobby vs the Girls (Accidentally) is out in paperback

an excerpt