Tim Kennemore

I've given this a brief review before, but a good book deserves another look!
In Alice's Birthday Pig, Alice triumphs over teasing and gets her dream pet. In Alice's World Record, she wins out over her perfect(ly irritating) older brother and sees a whole new side of him.

In her third adventure, we get a good look at her relationship with her little sister Rosie. In the past, Alice has kind of resented Rosie getting away with all the things nobody else would even dream of doing. Rosie is the star, the cute one, the little sister who shines. But now that she's growing older, Alice is starting to see her as a person and maybe as a friend. Alice especially loves Rosie's wild imagination and the magical stories and language she brings home from nursery school. But their parents are worried about Rosie's "lies." Oliver tries to logically explain the difference between fact and fiction; their parents make her a truth-telling chart. Alice privately thinks they should just enjoy Rosie's silly stories and leave her alone. Especially when she gets stuck coaching Rosie in her part in the upcoming school production. In a final wild whirl of hilarious events, Alice is, for the first time her life, in the spotlight.

There's a lot packed into this little story. The illustrations catch the various characters' expressions and personalities perfectly and blend smoothly to enhance the text, the function of every beginning chapter book illustration. There's Alice's struggles as a middle child trying to find what makes her unique and where she belongs, especially when she's sandwiched between two very outgoing and assertive siblings. Alice's relationship with her sister Rosie is a perfect mixture of older sibling exasperation and growing friendship as she begins to see Rosie as a person. And the story is just plain funny. From Rosie's insane stories, to Oliver's ridiculous sulks, to the final laugh-out-loud catastrophe, this book will keep the reader giggling all the way through.

Verdict: Kids who love realistic and funny stories and anyone who's ever wished they could do something out of the ordinary will gulp down the Alice stories and ask for more!

ISBN: 0802853374; Published March 2009 by Eerdmans; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Purchased for my personal collection… (meer)

Alice has gotten the best of her older brother, Oliver, once. Her birthday pig has settled in nicely, but Oliver is just as insufferable as ever, especially when it comes to winning. Rosie is even more awful, and they are all going to visit Grandma Fox.

Oliver is Grandma Fox's favorite and Rosie is her least-favorite. She never notices Alice. Sometimes it seems like nobody notices Alice, no matter how nicely she is behaving. But then something unbelievable happens and everything is turned upside down.

Verdict: This is a great addition to a sweet and realistic series. Children ready for chapters will enjoy this story of sibling rivalry and Alice's triumph is deeply satisfying.

ISBN: 978-0802853363; Published September 2008 by Eerdmans; Borrowed from the library; Purchased for the library; Added to my personal wishlist… (meer)

I first discovered this funny beginning chapter book trilogy almost 10 years ago. Not only was it hilarious and spot-on, it was not overwhelmingly British and it has a guinea pig!

Alice, in addition to her wacky little sister Rosie and her supercilious older brother Oliver, has a problem - she can't pronounce "animal". When her teacher announces that the class topic will be farm animals, Alice gloomily looks forward to a semester of teasing. And when her class takes a field trip to a farm and Alice finds an unexpectedly adorable little pig, she knows that more disappointments are in store. However, in a surprise ending, Alice gets her a pet, Oliver is vanquished, and even Rosie is temporarily dismayed.

This is a classic "in the middle" story; Alice's trials and triumphs as a middle child and her longing for a pet of her own will resonate with children no matter their birth order! The illustrations are sweet and just a little zany, just like Alice's family.

Who will read this? Beginning chapter readers who are fluent but not ready for longer books; kids who enjoy funny family stories, and any kids who have sibling woes.

Bring it back? Well....I'd love it to be available, but I have to admit it has not circulated in my library as I'd hoped, even when I used it for a book club. It's a little challenging for the reading level of most kids who are reading beginning chapters and there are a lot of beginning chapter series out there. It's a great read-aloud but there are plenty of copies still floating around.

Availability? The trilogy is out of print, but it's available as a digital audio (which I personally own). My library still owns the hardcovers, which are in good condition.

ISBN: 978-0802853356; Published March 2008 by Eerdmans… (meer)

One of my favorite children's/YA books of all time, deserving of much more recognition. I found this book at a library book sale for 25 cents- I'm incredibly glad I bought it, but I'm saddened that the library didn't want it anymore. This is the story of one family's summer vacation. It's not flashy, not much happens, just the gentle and abrupt events of a family coming to terms with themselves. Everyone grows and learns something about themselves and each other. I have read this book probably over 20 times, I know parts of it verbatim, and yet it never fails to draw me in. I highly recommend it as a quiet, contemplative, beautiful read with excellent characters and language. The characters are fun and unique: the point, really, is in the way their personalities drive them to interact with each other, and in the way they change over this brief period. The language is simple, straightforward, but also elegant and whimsical, and fitting to the personalities described. I'm not really getting across what it's like, but seriously, go find it, read it yourself, you'll like it- it's quick and enjoyable and everyone should read it.… (meer)