Friday, July 10, 2015

Judy Moody, Mood Martian by Megan McDonald — ESSENTIAL

McDonald, Megan Judy Moody, Mood Martian (Judy Moody #12), illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Candlewick Press, 2014. $15.99. Content: G.

After Judy’s school celebrates Backwards Day, Judy realizes she was in a good mood the entire time — and that being in a good mood was fun! Bolstered by success, she challenges herself to make it an entire week without getting into one of her famous bad moods. Not so easy, when she has challenges like an annoying little brother, skeptical friends, and a mischievous cat standing in her way.

We loved this installment in the Judy Moody series. As always, Judy is a fun character to root for, and her struggle to stay in a good mood despite the odds is one every child or adult can likely relate to on occasion. Watching Judy figure out how to keep her calm demeanor is not only suspenseful, but also instructive — after all, if Judy can do it, so can her readers.  The students’ enthusiasm for their math unit is also infectious. Naturally, the book also has its trademark Judy Moody humor, as well as lots of appearances from series regulars. While the story could stand on its own okay, it would be better when read after the first twelve stories, just to show how far Judy comes along in this book, and to provide some backstory.

EL — ESSENTIAL. Reviewer: Caryn

No comments: