Mr. Chickee's Funny Money

Dude! Why did Kirkus give this a starred review? I *love* Christopher Paul Curtis, but, I'm sorry, I don't think he works as well in the third person as he does in the first. I think he was trying to introduce readers to the POV of a child with a seriously overactive imagination, but, to me, it just didn't work. The novel is silly and light fun, which is fine, I guess, but it's no Bucking the Sarge or Bud, Not Buddy.

Steven, member of the Future Flint Detective Club, has been given a quadrillion dollar bill by his friend Mr. Chickee. When he goes to the Department of the Treasury to find out if the bill could be real, he meets Agent Fondoo and he thinks there's something fishy about him. Unbeknownst to Steven, Agent Fondoo has just gotten a memo about the missing quadrillion dollar bill and the huge reward for finding it. Fondoo will stop at nothing to get it back, but are Steven's detective skills sharp enough to keep the money safe?

I'm not a huge fan of mysteries, but the quirky characters and funny situations in this book kept me turning the pages.

My Response - Not as powerful as Curtis' Newbery award winners, but a fun and imaginative mystery. The book has a contemporary feel to it with references to music and dance that those familiar with soul will enjoy.

Curriculum - A great book to read to a class for fun as a chapter a day format. The action would appeal to boys and the silliness would be fun for the class to share. Could use to introduce flashback style or tall tales concepts to middle grade readers.

In this fast-paced mystery novel, Christopher Paul Curtis introduces two very curious boys and their gigantic dog which take readers along on their zany adventure. The humorous adventure to discover and protect a rare quadrillion dollar bill unravels through an amusing writing style, intriguing characters, and an unforgettable plot. Readers will surely be caught up in this innovative story and be rewarded with plenty of laughter.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. Christopher Paul Curtis's first two novels are essentials of modern children's literature. They are funny and touching, and portray important periods of U.S. history.

The Mr. Chickee's books do contain many of the humorous elements that are recognizably Christopher Paul Curtis in the interactions of the characters and the internal dialogue of the narrator, but there wasn't just enough there for me.

Both books were practically impossible for me to finish. They seem to fall into they mystery genre of children's literature next to Harriet the Spy. There is no supernatural events, just realistic mysteries. They are not fantastical, nor is there violence. So I can half heartedly recommend this to show more mystery fans, but it is hard to compare them to the previous works of this author. They just don't seem to measure up. show less

Goofy humor abounds when Mr. Chickee gives Steven a quadrillion dollar bill featuring the face of James Brown. This is the kind of book boys write for each other to enjoy!

Anyone can pass off a fake bill for "saving a quadrillion dollars at the grocery store," but when a real quadrillion-dollar bill ends up in Steven's hands courtesy of blind old Mr. Chickee, everyone takes notice, from his family to the Department of the Treasury and its Agent Fondoo.