David Lubar

This book might not have been geared toward me (older teenage female), but I loved it.

Scott is just beginning high school, complete with all its pitfalls, scary upperclassmen, pretty girls, loyal and not-so-loyal friends, homework, weird teachers, and everything else. And on top of all that, his parents are expecting another baby.

David Lubar's narration (through Scott) is witty, wise, and spot-on without being stereotypical. Scott's various problems and discoveries about the beautiful show more Julia, terrifying junior Wes, obnoxious Mouth, and philosophical Goth girl Lee are touching, hilarious, and eye-opening.

In the form of a diary to his little brother, not yet even born, Scott figures out how to handle the first year of high school...and a lot more. show less

I laughed, I cried, I thought deeply about the deep-rooted racial injustice that our permeates our culture. Mostly, I love the book. Each moment feels real, and you experience it right along with Starr. It gives those of us who might not understand exactly what it feels like to be a black person in the United States a small glance at some of the emotions and experiences.If you know anything about how the US has handled police shootings in the past few years, you know how this book ends. And show more honestly, it's disheartening, especially when you consider that this is far from the last time a black person will be killed at the hands of the police because they're black. The end is sad, but the ending is so hopeful, and it's just what we need right now. show less

The plot is thin, but the humor is engaging, and the math very clever. I *love* that Lubar points out that math is so much more than just arithmetic. Not to mention that multiplication and division are just faster ways of doing addition and subtraction.

I particularly appreciate the 'brain teasers' on the math test, and the fact that the answers are *not* given in the book. And I love the observation that "money is easier to think about than numbers" and therefore the boys figured out show more something that I don't know if I ever have used. That is to say, multiplying by 25 is really dividing by 4 and adding two zeroes....

I did not appreciate the foreshadowing at the end of the chapters, but it's common in MG fiction, esp. that aimed at reluctant readers, so I guess kids are ok with it. For example, at the end of Chapter 4x25 [divided by] (2x5), "At that moment, I didn't see any way he could possibly be wrong."

I don't know if I like the bits of writing that are actually meant to be a story. But again, they're funny in a juvenile sort of way, so ok. "The orange-banana Slush Monster with extra honey is a about as perfect a drink as you can get. It has enough fruit to make Mom happy and enough sugar to keep me hoppy."

Quick read, recommended to kids who love math as well as those who dislike it. show less

Alex and his cousin Sarah are visiting their grandparents. Alex' main concern is not being allergic to anything, so his over-protective mother won't get called. Unfortunately for him, he appears to be allergic to....something. Something that keeps moving around. Something that's...a ghost??

It's official. Alex is allergic to ghosts. Horribly allergic. And this ghost just can't leave him alone - he wants some help. But help with what? Is he a good ghost or a bad ghost? Can Alex and Sarah solve show more the mystery?

Wacky black and white sketches are scattered throughout the story which is a fun mixture of humor and mystery. There's even a nod to local history departments and original research.

Verdict: A fun new addition to the beginning chapter genre. Excellent mystery, mildly spooky elements, and no real scary parts. I don't have the space for another beginning chapter series, but if I did I'd be getting this one.

ISBN: 9780545873482; Published 2017 by Scholastic; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less