"'Swim with leeches!' my dad screamed. He was dangling upside down by one leg, and his whole body was twisting like crazy, just like Houdini in the Great Upside-Down Escape!
'Thou bootless guts-gripping bum-bailey better have an explanation for this,
or sorrow on thee! I'll not be a mangled swag-bellied death token.' My dad
was not a happy camper. And when my dad is not a happy camper, watch out - he
will curse like Shakespeare."
And curse he does when he finds himself caught in one of the many traps that the wary Alvin and his self-sufficient sister, Anibelly, have set around their campsite. They did this while their dad was snoozing in the tent, having left them to fend for themselves. Alvin is living his worst nightmare: camping and hiking where any number of natural disasters might befall them. He does his best to convince his intrepid dad that they should reconsider the plan...and just stay home. Dad is determined and wants his children to experience one of the great joys of his own childhood.
If you met Alvin in his first book, where he showed his fear of girls, school and other scary things, I hope you love him as much as I do. I will share his story over and over in booktalks with kids and friends in the months to come. He is such a character! Lenore Look gets right to the heart of his angst and gives him an authentic voice and self-deprecating humor that endears him to all readers.
Alvin has a wonderful family...full of love, concern for the other members and a knowledge of each other's quirks and foibles. Together, they are a team! This is another great story to share at home or in early and middle years classrooms. There will be times when you just laugh right out loud at the antics. It leaves me wanting to know what comes next! Alvin...you go, dude!
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