Stacy McAnulty

Max, young boy expert in practically everything, returns in this follow-up to his initial adventure, Max Explains Everything: Grocery Story Expert, this time turning to the subject of soccer. Whilst his teammates pitch in to play a game, the gentle and slightly clueless Max narrates what one should do during said game. But despite the many times his mother calls for him to "kick the ball," the one thing he doesn't cover is actually playing the sport...

Like its predecessor, I found this show more guidebook-style picture-book quite a hoot! Max Explains Everything: Soccer Expert offers a humorous depiction of the eponymous Max, who is happily interested in everything about his soccer game except the soccer. Although there isn't quite the same back-and-forth dialogue as in the first book, the same humorous effect is created through Max's mother's frequent calls for him to "kick the ball," and the accompanying illustrations, which show him blithely ignoring everything but his little narrative about flowers, waving one's hands and so on. Recommended to little league sports participants who are there more for the fun than the competition. show less

This book is about Lucy, a 12-year-old girl who was struck by lightning when she was 8 and gained mathematical intelligence through the strike. She is a child with OCD in a new middle school that her Nana is forcing her to go to even though she's at a college level to make her grow as a person. This book seems great for 8 to 13-year-olds. Notable characters are Windy and Levi, they both have distinct personalities and are 3-dimensional characters and aren't just Lucy's side pieces. My show more personal feeling is that the book was a good book with heart, though I am concerned about how OCD is represented. While yes, people like Lucy exist it feels like the compulsive cleaning with some rituals is the de facto setting of OCD. There are actually a lot more types of OCD like hoarding, symmetry compulsions, and obsession with checking on potentially dangerous situations. While I commend the author for not making her OCD a joke or making it Lucy's only trait I do think there should be a discussion on representing other types of OCD. Again, I am not bashing Lucy and her partial; I just think it falls into the usual stereotype of how OCD is portrayed. show less

Lucy Callahan is a cute, "average" eight year old girl, until she is unexpectedly (who ever expects it?) struck by lightning. Once she recovers from a brief heart stoppage, she begins exhibiting an intellectual ability she never experienced before: she is now a math genius. More than a genius: a savant, and a little girl who is obsessed with numbers. (The nature of her obsession is not pathological, and in fact is quite endearing.) As she approaches adolescence, she's home schooled. But her show more grandmother, worried about Lucy's lack of socialization, insists on enrolling her in middle school — a prospect that Lucy finds as appealing as being eaten by a dinosaur.

This book, which is an utter delight, recounts both Lucy's superhuman relationship with numbers and her fumbling, touching interaction with her peers. This is not merely a "clever" situation: it is the basis for a personal odyssey that will ring true to anyone who is being scorched (or has ever been scorched) by the flames of Middle-School Hell.

N.B.: The author, Stacy MacAnulty, has a legitimate scientific background, and seems determined to make concepts from the STEM fields appealing to young people. She is very blessed in being able to do this in a way that even makes a jaded adult like me laugh out loud.

Very funny, and very highly recommended. show less

Ed the dog begins to feel a little unqualified to belong to the excellent Ellis family in this endearing picture-book from author Stacy McAnulty and illustrator Julia Sarcone-Roach. All of the human children in the family excel at their various pursuits, from Elaine with her soccer playing to Ernie with his baking skills. Ed racks his mind for some activity or quality in which he can stand out, only to be continually upstaged. Just as he begins to conclude that he is unworthy of belonging to show more the Ellises, he discovers some areas in which he is truly excellent...

I enjoyed the story here, despite having my doubts as to Ed's anthropomorphization - can dogs have inferiority complexes? - but it is the artwork, done in acrylic, watercolor, crayon and grease pencil, that is the real star. Julia Sarcone-Roach captures all of Ed's many emotional states to perfection, and his expressions are often quite droll. The scenes in which he is rolling around on the floor are particularly fun, and give a sense of motion to the page. I also liked the fact that the Ellis family is African-American, as there is still a dearth of picture-books featuring a more diverse range of characters, where that diversity is unremarked upon, and not the point of the story. Recommended to anyone looking for entertaining picture-books featuring our canine friends. show less