Rating: I like it BUT Some Families May Not

This easy reader has a fun plot, but I have a few hesitations recommending it for your bookshelf:

  • There is a lot of bickering: between classmates and between siblings. At one point a sibling blackmails the other into doing chores for them.
  • Freddy disobeys & lies to his parents reading through the night with a flashlight. The good news is that he faces a lot of consequences in the morning, especially when he realizes he can’t count the minutes toward the competition because his parents need to sign off the minutes!
  • As the plot centers around a book fair, it’s not surprising that Scholastic was happy to publish it.

There are a few redeeming characteristics. I like:

  • misconceptions about kids’ abilities are debunked. 
  • kids typically obey their parents and teachers, albeit reluctantly at times.  
  • the story encourages kids of all types to keep reading!