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A review by kellkie
EllRay Jakes Is Not a Chicken by Sally Warner
2.0
In this book about bullying, I fail to see where a lesson is ever learned. In fact, after the big fight between EllRay and Jake, they are treated to a trip to Disneyland while the parents still don't know about the fight. And the kids lie about it. The author skips right over everything that happens at Disneyland when the two boys are left alone, then end on a highnote of EllRay back in the car at the end of the day reflecting on the fact that he still has to deal with all the parents and his teacher finding out on Monday, but that's okay by him. Did I miss something here??
And seriously, why is it okay to skip the entire portion of time the two eight-year-old boys are galavanting around Disneyland alone?
So much pressure is put on EllRay to behave at school that he spends the entire week hiding the fact that he is being bullied, even when his teacher and dad finally ask him if he is okay.
I don't know if I'm expected to suspend my irritation with the lack of a resolution at the end of the book because it's first in a series and perhaps there's a worthwhile lesson for children reading this series in a later book ... but it just did't work for me.
I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I think kids will enjoy EllRay's character and some may identify with the situation he is in. I can see boys crawling all over this book. Warner does a great job of getting inside a third grade boy's head.
And seriously, why is it okay to skip the entire portion of time the two eight-year-old boys are galavanting around Disneyland alone?
So much pressure is put on EllRay to behave at school that he spends the entire week hiding the fact that he is being bullied, even when his teacher and dad finally ask him if he is okay.
I don't know if I'm expected to suspend my irritation with the lack of a resolution at the end of the book because it's first in a series and perhaps there's a worthwhile lesson for children reading this series in a later book ... but it just did't work for me.
I'm giving it two stars instead of one because I think kids will enjoy EllRay's character and some may identify with the situation he is in. I can see boys crawling all over this book. Warner does a great job of getting inside a third grade boy's head.