*review copy provided by publisher*
Artsy-Fartsy stuff is what Aldo's grandmother tells him to use his new sketch book for. Aldo isn't sure if he wants to draw in the book, though, after being made fun of at school for his art. But, he gives it a try, keeping track of what happens over the summer, including a mysterious contributor to his book. Mr. Mot, Aldo's neighbor, encourages him to also write some interesting a-words in the book as well. Maybe he'll be able to try a little artsy-fartsy stuff.
Things I Liked:
It was a fun book, like getting a glimpse at a ten-year-old's view of life. The humor was fun, the illustrations added to the humor, and the addition of interesting a-words makes it even educational. I think tweens and younger kids will get a kick out of this, and probably incidentally learn new words too. Even the definitions at the end were fun to read (instead of being dry and boring). I particularly liked this part:
"Right away Jack made such a bug-eyed, squinched-up face that I started to snort-laugh. THat made the potion come shooting out my nose, which was kind of a good thing because I couldn't taste it as much. But it was a bad think, too, because now I had brown booger-potion dribbled down the front of my shirt." p 62Things I Didn't Like:
It isn't quite as fun as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, having a touch of the "written by an adult" feeling that those books tend to not have - particularly the end. Also, I think that it might have made me look at definitions if they were on the same page as the word. I didn't once flip to the back to check a definition. I read them all at the end. But, I think it will appeal to kids who really liked the Diary books, who like to draw, or reluctant readers.
Read-alikes:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: none
mrg-factor: none
v-factor: none
Overall rating: ****
Posted as part of Tween Tuesday, hosted by GreenBeanTeenQueen.
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