Abby Hanlon

I was ambivalent about the first Dory Fantasmagory book, but this one I really, really liked. Normally I don't often read sequels and I certainly wouldn't have picked this up, but as it was nominated for Cybils I read it and I liked it. Really liked it.

Dory is ready for her first day of school....maybe. Her imaginary friends have lots of advice and so do Dory's older brother and sister. Dory tries to follow everyone's advice, but she's still, well, Dory and at first things don't go so well. show more But then she meets a friend; a real, true friend! She's a princess and lives in a castle...her siblings are sure it's just another imaginary friend but what if she's not....?

Hanlon's art perfectly captures Dory, in all of her too-small, mismatched clothes, mischievous smile, inability to sit still, and crazy imagination. She's the kid that every teacher groans a little bit when she comes in but can't help liking. She's the awkward kid who really wants friends but doesn't quite fit in with the other kids. I just laughed and sighed over Dory's determination to be friends with the elegant Rosabelle, who at first seems to be a totally opposite character....but then they turn out to have a lot in common.

Verdict: Kids and parents alike will see themselves and their kids in this story, enjoy Dory's wild adventures, and maybe take a second look at potential friends in their classroom. Recommended.

ISBN: 9780525428664; Published 2015 by Dial/Penguin; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

Dory joins a soccer team, and it goes exactly how Dory fans expect. Mrs. Gobblegracker explores space, Mr. Nuggy comes up with a new mode of transit and communication (bubbles instead of bananas), and Dory faces an old enemy, Valentina. Dory's parents and older siblings take a backseat this time around, while George reverts to babyhood in the face of his mother's pregnancy, and Rosabelle is obsessed with all things old-fashioned.

An absolute joy to return to Dory's world.

Quotes

When I'm done show more with the dishes, my mom says, "Just go to bed before anything else breaks."
"Why is everything in our house always breaking?" I ask.
"Are you joking?" asks my mom. (61) show less

Six-year-old Dory gets no respect from older siblings Luke and Violet, but that's all right by her, because she has a rich imagination, populated with friends and villains who seem just as real to her as the people in her family. She has fabulous adventures with these imaginary creatures, but when she sacrifices her sister's favorite doll to one of them, will she find that she has finally gone too far?

This is a quirky little story that may appeal to readers familiar with other trouble-making show more youngsters who populate the world of early chapter books. I found Dory a little irritating, myself . . . but then again, I am an older sibling! show less

Dory is the baby of the family and of course not welcome to play with her older sister and brother. But no matter, she has a wildly funny imagination that keeps her happily occupied in her own little world. Dory pretends to be a dog, plots to get rid of the evil Mrs. Gobble Gracker, consults with her fairy godmother Nuggy, and her imaginary friend is a monster named Mary who gets into everything. A fun read-aloud for young children and a funny read for newly fluent readers.