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3.67 AVERAGE
3.67 AVERAGE
baudshaw's review against another edition
4.0
Artur is one of the funniest characters in the series, and this book uses him a lot. I like how his constant compassion constantly grates at the irreverent Nate. This book is well-written and has a good finale.
howifeelaboutbooks's review against another edition
4.0
I read the first Big Nate book over winter break just to see what my students were into, and I fell in love! I love finding great books for boys, especially middle grade boys, and Big Nate is so hysterical, but so well done, that I can’t wait for my own boys to read these.
ladyomni's review against another edition
3.0
Nate wrecks his skateboard and the finds out the scouts first prize for the selling the most.... is a skateboard! He tries everything to sell the most and by the end he could have just bought a new skateboard for a lot less, lol. But kids will be kids.
hbirr's review against another edition
5.0
My 8 year old loves these. Thankfully I do as well! Fun to read together
mrsandwitch77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
jason_pym's review against another edition
2.0
There are a whole slew of books for boys now, Wimpy Kid probably being the most famous, made to look like doodle-filled journals written by primary school kids. I'm very grateful for them, as my nine-year-old son reads them over and over.
But of all the ones we've read so far Big Nate is the only one I've had a problem with. I may be projecting too much here, but even though the book is written from Nate's perspective he still comes across as intensely obnoxious.
Artur, a widely-liked boy with the 'comedy' diction of a non-native speaker, is Nate's nemesis, the kid he has to beat in everything. Relationships, for example: Nate likes Jenny, though he seems to barely speak to her. Artur is going out with Jenny. How does Nate deal with this? He decides his best option is to manipulate Artur into splitting up with Jenny by feeding him rumours that another girl likes him.
Nate and Artur are also both Timber Scouts, and the main story is that they have to sell fuzzy badges - the one who sells the most gets a skateboard. Artur, through being smart and working hard, sells more. Nate tries to catch up, he feels he's not a good enough of a salesman to do this so the best thing is to earn money by other means then buy a load of the badges himself - this is ok, I guess, lateral thinking and all.
You'd assume then that the story would be about the genius ways he made money and won the day. But no, his plans fail usually due to Nate being an unpleasant human being - for example, when trying to sell his comic through a comic shop, he mocks the owner then accuses him of being a shop-lifter not realising who he is. You can assume from Nate's character that if he did recognize the owner he'd suck up to him in some smarmy way.
In the end Nate does get the grand prize of the skateboard, but not through intelligence or hard work, but through blind luck. He discovers he owns a vintage comic that's worth money, flogs it and so has the cash to buy the most badges.
If there is a redeeming aspect to the story, it is that Artur is oblivious to all of Nate's machinations and still acts in a genuinely friendly way toward him (giving him brownies, being gracious in defeat after losing out on the skateboard etc). And in fairness it was crystal clear to my nine-year-old that all of the rivalry with Artur was only in Nate's head, and that a lot of the comedy in his failing schemes was that they deserved to fail.
Even so, as an adult reading along, to have to spend so much time looking at the world with such petty jealousy is wearing. And why does it make narrative sense that he should get the skateboard?
If you're looking for a book for a boy you're much better off with Tom Gates. My son has four of these now and we've read them repeatedly - Tom is a genuinely warm character; he takes shortcuts like all of us, torments his sister, but at the end of the day is a genuinely likeable person and when he comes out on top he deserves it. Unlike Nate's distant obsession with Jenny, Tom has a normal relationship with his classmate Amy. Tom has a some-time rivalry with Marcus who is the petty, disingenuous irritation in his life (much like Nate's character) - yet Tom is still decent enough to work with him, even when Marcus steals his ideas and otherwise tries to undermine Tom. And unlike Nate's charmless efforts at comics, Tom's are actually endearing and funny.
But of all the ones we've read so far Big Nate is the only one I've had a problem with. I may be projecting too much here, but even though the book is written from Nate's perspective he still comes across as intensely obnoxious.
Artur, a widely-liked boy with the 'comedy' diction of a non-native speaker, is Nate's nemesis, the kid he has to beat in everything. Relationships, for example: Nate likes Jenny, though he seems to barely speak to her. Artur is going out with Jenny. How does Nate deal with this? He decides his best option is to manipulate Artur into splitting up with Jenny by feeding him rumours that another girl likes him.
Nate and Artur are also both Timber Scouts, and the main story is that they have to sell fuzzy badges - the one who sells the most gets a skateboard. Artur, through being smart and working hard, sells more. Nate tries to catch up, he feels he's not a good enough of a salesman to do this so the best thing is to earn money by other means then buy a load of the badges himself - this is ok, I guess, lateral thinking and all.
You'd assume then that the story would be about the genius ways he made money and won the day. But no, his plans fail usually due to Nate being an unpleasant human being - for example, when trying to sell his comic through a comic shop, he mocks the owner then accuses him of being a shop-lifter not realising who he is. You can assume from Nate's character that if he did recognize the owner he'd suck up to him in some smarmy way.
In the end Nate does get the grand prize of the skateboard, but not through intelligence or hard work, but through blind luck. He discovers he owns a vintage comic that's worth money, flogs it and so has the cash to buy the most badges.
If there is a redeeming aspect to the story, it is that Artur is oblivious to all of Nate's machinations and still acts in a genuinely friendly way toward him (giving him brownies, being gracious in defeat after losing out on the skateboard etc). And in fairness it was crystal clear to my nine-year-old that all of the rivalry with Artur was only in Nate's head, and that a lot of the comedy in his failing schemes was that they deserved to fail.
Even so, as an adult reading along, to have to spend so much time looking at the world with such petty jealousy is wearing. And why does it make narrative sense that he should get the skateboard?
If you're looking for a book for a boy you're much better off with Tom Gates. My son has four of these now and we've read them repeatedly - Tom is a genuinely warm character; he takes shortcuts like all of us, torments his sister, but at the end of the day is a genuinely likeable person and when he comes out on top he deserves it. Unlike Nate's distant obsession with Jenny, Tom has a normal relationship with his classmate Amy. Tom has a some-time rivalry with Marcus who is the petty, disingenuous irritation in his life (much like Nate's character) - yet Tom is still decent enough to work with him, even when Marcus steals his ideas and otherwise tries to undermine Tom. And unlike Nate's charmless efforts at comics, Tom's are actually endearing and funny.
laviedelachloe's review against another edition
it is very funny. i love the book.it was great.
jimmysnick's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5