Monday, July 23, 2018

Sticks and Stones by Nicole C. Kear -- ADVISABLE

Sticks and Stones (The Fix-It Friends #2) by Nicole C. Kear, illustrated by Tracy Dockray. 120 pages. CHAPTER BOOK.
Imprint (Macmillan), 2017. $6.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL (K-3) -- ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Veronica Conti and her gang of problem-fixing friends are back and ready to help another kid. This time it's Noah who needs help. A new bully keeps teasing him, and shy Noah doesn't know how to handle it. The Fix-Its have a few false starts, but they're certain that they can solve Noah's bully problem if only they keep trying.

An afterword helps children learn how to deal with bullying and contains a list of recommended reading for children and parents.

This is a great continuation of the series. Veronica is just as amusing and relatable as in the previous books, and even when she makes mistakes her heart is clearly in the right place. Many children will also empathize with Noah's bully problem. The illustrations capture the spirit of the book perfectly. Like with the previous book in the serious, my only hesitation is that the text is a bit small and difficult for a typical seven-year-old, and yet many older children would snub the book because of Veronica's age, which makes it difficult to have it reach its intended audience. As a read-aloud, however, it would work well.

Sydney G., K-6 Library Media Specialist

No comments: