"I wanted to say no way. Nobody wants a girl desk buddy,, except for maybe a girl. The scary thing about girls is that they are not boys. Most girls are no good at robbery and mayhem. They can't punch. But they can kick, which hurts. They skip rope too fast. They are boring. I opened my mouth to tell her all this, but...
My tongue turned to sandpaper."
The cover says that Alvin is allergic to girls, school, and other scary things...what else is there in a second grader's life? He's also afraid of elevators, tunnels, thunder, wasabi, the dark, scary movies, shots, only as a starter list. There are some things that he loves: his dog, Plastic Man, Wonder Woman...in fact, all the superheroes known to mankind. Prior to preschool, he was a superhero himself, Firecracker Man. Now that only happens on weekends when he's not in school.
Did I tell you he's afraid of school? I hope so. When at school, Alvin cannot speak...not a single word. Because of his mutism he thinks he needs a plan for making friends who don't need to hear him talk. There are those willing to help him come up with a PDK, a personal disaster kit.
I love Alvin and I am just itching to get started on his new book which I hope to tell you about here tomorrow. He is wonderful...smart, articulate (when not at school), full of wisecracks, Shakespearean curses, unlimited curiosity, and such a person he is! Here is his description of his dad: “My dad is not only a gentleman, but he is da man, which is a lot like being da dad, which means he can handle quite a lot.” Or about his mom: "My mom is da mom. She never had another life, like my dad, who was probably secretly a gung fu action hero spymaster assassin before he was a dad. She was always a mom - she was practically born that way - but that's okay. She is really super-duper. She is not afraid of heights." Good thing since Alvin needs rescuing from a tree where he is hanging upside down like a roast duck.
What a great gift to your favorite second grader...or to the family for fun-filled reading times. It is a keeper and I am on my way to get started on the next....see you next time!
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