Jeff Anderson (2)

Life gets turned in ways Zach never expected, when the school puts on a play, and thanks to a girl, he suddenly finds himself doing something he never wanted to—auditioning for the main part in the play.

When the school librarian announces the new play, The Christmas Carol, Zach's friends suddenly want to take part. Zach wants nothing to do with it, but then the girl that he might like bats her eyes at him, and the next moment, he's secretly planning on auditioning. Even before the show more auditions, the excitement and funny personality traits of Zach's friends ensure many hilarious moments. Then, the cast is chosen and chaos really begins.

This is the third book in the series. I have not read the other two, but still had no problem diving into this book. In other words, it can be read as a stand alone.

This book is fun, and it's the characters which make it shine. Each one of Zach's friends has a very distinct personality, and each carries a quirky trait. The author does not go at this subtly, but allows these oddities to come out full force. It's silly, it's giggle-worthy, and still, it comes across realistic. While humor abounds and the situations threaten to run out of control, these are moments middle graders can sympathize with and see themselves reflected in. The self-insecurities, friendship issues, first girl problems and teacher predicaments hit home despite the sillier scenes.

While the play, The Christmas Carol, suggests this might make a great holiday read, the story itself does not rotate around holiday themes and easily slides in to any time of year. The school setting is well done, never overly described but captures the atmosphere nicely. The dialogue flows well, and although some remarks seem odd for the age group, it fits the personalities well. The entire thing is a humorous school drama which kids will smile and laugh through the entire way.

I received a complimentary copy and found this to be such a lovely read that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts. show less

Zack is the kind of kid who flies under the radar. He's only made one good friend in his first year of middle school. He tries to duck the attention of Jose, the handsome school joker, and avoid the cliques. But he ends up drawing unwanted attention when he tells Jose to stop teasing Janie, a chubby movie geek. The teacher taps Zack and Jose to chair the 6th grade candy sale because of their leadership skills. The candy sale is key to the 6th graders getting a school dance and Zack feels the show more pressure, especially after he learns Janie ate $192 worth of the candy she was supposed to sell. The kids are mostly Hispanic and black in this culturally neutral novel where everyone gets together (eventually) to help solve Zack's problem. show less

Book review
Zack Delacruz #1: Me and My Big Mouth by Jeff Anderson
Sterling Children's, 2015

Well, this was a refreshing change for middle grade fiction. Lots of diverse characters here, and a protagonist with a name that clearly places him away from the standard that is too typical in much of what publishers push on readers. So yay, Zack!

And importantly, this isn't about a boy or others being bullied due to their race or culture. Instead it's about what every kid faces. It's a universal theme show more that happens to have many non-white characters inside, all of whom are real kids. So another cheer for Zack!

The one issue noted is that, while the book promotes respect for everyone, it actually doesn't follow that line. The teachers, the adults, are the ones who come under fire, and some of the comments are cruel.

So where is the respect there? Does bullying only apply to kids? If you're in the corporate culture or you're not white and you walk down the street, you know that bullies are alive and well in the adult world, too. So the ideology doesn't track entirely.

Still, a great read with plenty of fun for kids.

Parents and teachers who would like to read up on wisdom that can help them guide their kids should check out [b:Seven Sisters: Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia|10325471|Seven Sisters Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia|Laine Cunningham|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1349102405s/10325471.jpg|15227914] with advice that is as relevant today as it was centuries ago!

And readers who want to understand more about diversity in the publishing industry can check out [b:Writing While Female or Black or Gay: Diverse Voices in Publishing|31457785|Writing While Female or Black or Gay Diverse Voices in Publishing|Laine Cunningham|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1472356053s/31457785.jpg|47033395].

5 stars!

I was provided with a review copy by the publisher. show less

Full of great examples from mentor texts and real-life classroom dialog, this is a great how-to book for ELA teachers who are using (or thinking of using) writer's workshop in their classroom and who want to teach GUMS in a more authentic way. It contains explanations, both of the techniques and of the conventions (and in case you never knew, didn't understand, or have forgotten them, Jeff doesn't make you feel like a fraud--he even admits he's the last person who ever would have thought show more he'd write a book on this particular topic!), and dozens of lesson plans as well as an appendix of handouts. Next on my list I'm planning on tackling his second book, Everyday Editing. I also just found out he'll be presenting at a workshop near me in the fall and am hoping my principal will let me go! show less