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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
The way this book deals with bullying is very concerning to me. The main character is bullied for week and weeks by a kid in his grade, and every single adult the kid turns to is useless and doesn't help. His teacher Ms. Cherry is particularly infuriating, suggesting that if only he shared his lunch treat (sprinkles) willingly they would become friends, because the bully is 'having a hard time'. Also, the way the bullying becomes resolved is nonsensical and completely teaches the wrong lesson.
No amount of invisible cuddliness can make up for these issues.
No amount of invisible cuddliness can make up for these issues.
Read-aloud with my son for Battle of the Books.
My favorite part of this book was when my eight-year-old finished the book without me because he just couldn't wait to know what happened next. (Then he insisted we finish it together, because it was "really good," he said).
My favorite part of this book was when my eight-year-old finished the book without me because he just couldn't wait to know what happened next. (Then he insisted we finish it together, because it was "really good," he said).
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Not my favorite Jenkins, but an amusing story of Hank, whose best friend has moved away and who is now dealing with a bully. Help arrives in the form of Inkling, an invisible creature who is either from Peru or the Ukraine--he is an very unreliable storyteller. He's a bandapat, nearly extinct--which is why he needs to stay invisible--and he lives on squash, which is why he turns up at Hanks's parent's shop in Brooklyn, "The Big Pumpkin"--but it's an ice cream shop. The quest for squash is big in the plot, as is Hank's desire to see his new friend. **Spoiler: **The bully ends up being afraid of Hank after Inkling invisibly bites him, which I think is a troublesome message.
If the Toys Go Out series weren't SO great, I'd probably like this more.[b:Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic|24686|Toys Go Out Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic|Emily Jenkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286404211s/24686.jpg|25521]
If the Toys Go Out series weren't SO great, I'd probably like this more.[b:Toys Go Out: Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic|24686|Toys Go Out Being the Adventures of a Knowledgeable Stingray, a Toughy Little Buffalo, and Someone Called Plastic|Emily Jenkins|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1286404211s/24686.jpg|25521]
Cute little book. Good for a third or fourth grader.
Super-cute middle grade fiction about a boy and his invisible friend. The language and dialogue is funny and contemporary and the plot simple and quick-paced. It's the characterization and little details that makes this book truly come alive, but that's Emily Jenkins for you.
A cute book that features an invisible animal friend. A fast quick read suitable for grades 2-4.
A great short chapter book. A good one for young readers. Hopefully this will be a series. The ending implies that it might be.
I love this series! Fourth grader Hank stumbles upon and befriends a furry, squash loving invisible creature known as a bandapat. Inkling, as he names Bandapat, becomes a close friend and confidant for young Hank, who is missing his recently moved away best friend and dealing with a bully at school. Hank's family is portrayed as busy and loving, and occasionally wrong about things....aka realistically. I've been reading this aloud with Leo and he and I both love it. Would make a great rec for a family read aloud or a classroom read aloud.
I imagine airplanes that argue with their pilots, drinks that change the color of your skin, and aliens who study human beings in science labs -- all when I'm supposed to be doing something else.
Fourth-grader Hank Wolowitz is the first person to admit he has an "overbusy" imagination. But he knows he isn't imagining the small, furry, invisible animal that was hiding under the sink in his parents' Brooklyn ice-cream shop. The animal that he rescued from the neighbor's dog. The animal that calls itself Inkling, says that it's an endangered bandapat, and that it is not leaving until it repays the debt it now owes him. Hank can certainly use a friend; his best friend just moved to Iowa City over the summer. As if that weren't bad enough, Hank quickly becomes the fourth-grade bully's favorite target. Since Hank can't get any help from the ambivalent lunchroom aides, his oblivious teacher, or his pacifist parents, Inkling is determined to solve the problem for him.
With a quick pace and an engaging narrator, this sweetly funny book is sure to please. Aside from the invisible bandapat, the story feels utterly realistic without being grim. Kids will find it easy to identify with Hank, who just wants to get through a day without having half his lunch stolen. Harry Bliss' signature illustrations are the perfect complement to Jenkins' quirky story. Recommend especially to readers outgrowing Roscoe Riley and Clementine.
Book Source: e-ARC via NetGalley, by request
Fourth-grader Hank Wolowitz is the first person to admit he has an "overbusy" imagination. But he knows he isn't imagining the small, furry, invisible animal that was hiding under the sink in his parents' Brooklyn ice-cream shop. The animal that he rescued from the neighbor's dog. The animal that calls itself Inkling, says that it's an endangered bandapat, and that it is not leaving until it repays the debt it now owes him. Hank can certainly use a friend; his best friend just moved to Iowa City over the summer. As if that weren't bad enough, Hank quickly becomes the fourth-grade bully's favorite target. Since Hank can't get any help from the ambivalent lunchroom aides, his oblivious teacher, or his pacifist parents, Inkling is determined to solve the problem for him.
With a quick pace and an engaging narrator, this sweetly funny book is sure to please. Aside from the invisible bandapat, the story feels utterly realistic without being grim. Kids will find it easy to identify with Hank, who just wants to get through a day without having half his lunch stolen. Harry Bliss' signature illustrations are the perfect complement to Jenkins' quirky story. Recommend especially to readers outgrowing Roscoe Riley and Clementine.
Book Source: e-ARC via NetGalley, by request