Megan McDonald

Judy Moody is in a mood again in this third installment of Megan McDonald's engaging chapter-book series chronicling her adventures at home and at school. Unable to come up with a good idea for the Crazy Strips band-aid design contest - as a collector of band-aids, Judy feels she ought to be able to create a winner - and chagrined that her younger brother Stink (as usual) seems to have it easy, she turns instead to a campaign to save the environment. Inspired by her teacher Mr. Todd's talks show more about the importance of protecting the rainforest, she embarks upon a crusade to "fix" her family and classmates' destructive habits, with predictably disastrous results. While confronting the consequences of one of her misguided campaigns - stealing and hiding all of her classmates' pencils - she hits upon an idea that might actually do some good...

As with previous entries in this series, I found Judy Moody Saves the World! to be both humorous and heartwarming, with a heroine who manages to be believably immature at times - I was chuckling at some of her antics, particularly the scene where she piles all of the household products that originate in the rainforest on the kitchen table, and then confronts her bewildered (and still sleep-addled) family - while also essentially goodhearted. I was interested to see that Julia Butterfly Hill was mentioned in the story, and becomes something of an inspiration for Judy, as I had the pleasure of attending a talk and book-signing conducted by Ms. Hill some years ago, when I was in San Francisco. All in all, another engaging entry in the Judy Moody series, one I would recommend to beginning chapter-book readers, especially those looking for stories featuring feisty girls! show less

Feisty third-grader Judy Moody returns in this second chapter-book devoted to her adventures, discovering to her chagrin that she is the least famous member of the Moody household - unlike her younger brother, Stink, she has nothing to put on the refrigerator "Moody Hall of Fame" - and of Mr. Todd's class at school. How can Judy become famous? By discovering a cherry-pit from George Washington's famous cherry tree? By breaking a record in the Guinness Book of World Records? By entering her show more cat Mouse in a pet contest? Or by doing something completely unexpected...?

I enjoyed this follow-up to the first Judy Moody book, once again finding the eponymous young heroine an engaging blend of spunky rebel and essentially good-hearted young girl. It was interesting that when Judy eventually does get her fifteen minutes of fame, it is for something she does anonymously, to benefit others. I appreciated that, and I also appreciated Judy's decision to confess to Mr. Todd that she was the one responsible for the worm incident in class, not her rival Jessica. With an amusing story, an appealing cast of characters, and entertaining illustrations, this series is a great pick for beginning chapter-book readers in the market for girl characters with... character. show less

Judy Moody starts the third grade in something of a mood in this first entry in Megan McDonald's acclaimed beginning chapter-book series chronicling her adventures, keenly aware that she alone will have no snappy T-shirt proclaiming her summer activities, sad that she is leaving behind the class turtle of the previous year, and worried that she will be made to sit with the pesky Frank "Eats Paste" Pearl, rather than with her best friend, Rocky. When the latter proves to be the case, her show more fears seem justified, but slowly, through the patience of her new teacher, Mr. Todd, through her friendship with Rocky, and through her discovery that Frank isn't so bad after all, things start to look up, and by the time Judy presents her "All About Me" collage a few weeks later, third grade is off to a fabulous start!

With a moody but essentially goodhearted heroine, a number of humorous incidents that had me chuckling, and a sibling relationship that seemed both realistic and loving, Judy Moody was an immensely appealing read. I particularly appreciated the latter, as it is something I think was missing from the Ivy and Bean chapter-book series, which I have recently been reading. It's clear that there is plenty of sibling tension here - Judy finds her younger brother (or "bother," as she calls him) a bit of a pest, going so far as to label him "Stink," because he doesn't like to bathe, and playing some amusing practical jokes on him - but it never goes too far, and he is included in some of her activities with her friends, like the TP (not toilet paper) Club. The balance struck, between sibling conflict and friendship, seemed just right.

All in all, I really enjoyed this first foray into Judy's world, and will definitely be picking up subsequent entries in the series. Recommended to young chapter-book readers, particularly those looking for stories with engaging, spunky girl heroines! show less

This is the fourth Stink book, but the first I've actually read. I had this in a collection of books about guinea pigs that I weeded out of my personal library in 2014.

Stink and his friend Sophie are helping their friend Webster build the Great Wall of China out of cereal boxes when they discover...guinea pigs! When they take the guinea pigs to Mrs. Birdwhistle at the pet shop, they discover that she has 101 guinea pigs - rescued from a lab. Now she has to find homes for them, and Stink and show more his friends are ready to help. They fix up a bus and take the guinea pigs on the road, looking for homes. But Stink has a hard time letting go of one special guinea pig - will he get to keep Astro?

The story is interspersed not only with black and white drawings but also with simple one-page comics, "Stink's Furry Facts" that add information about guinea pigs.

Although I hadn't read a Stink book before (or Judy Moody) it was easy to pick up the thread of the narrative. It's a light, fun story and at a little over 100 pages a perfectly serviceable beginning chapter book with humor, animals, a readable font, and attractive art. I did feel that the ending was a bit pat, with Stink getting Astro after all (would he really have survived the trip?) and I was skeptical that after being used as lab animals all the guinea pigs would have been immediately adoptable - none are shown with health problems or in poor condition. As it specifically states that they were ill-treated and used to test shampoo and perfume that's really, really unbelievable. There's some mild diversity in Stink's town - Mrs. Birdwhistle and the people in the crowd scenes and a brief note at the back has a caution about researching before adopting a pet.

Verdict: This is a solid and accessible series. A little bit of wish-fulfillment never hurt anyone and it's funny and interesting. A classic beginning chapter series that every library should own.

ISBN: 9780763628352; Published 2008 by Candlewick; From my personal collection (library owns a copy) show less