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A review by tashrow
The Dunderheads by David Roberts, Paul Fleischman
5.0
Miss Breakbone hates children. She is harsh, rude, and cruel. But worst of all, she is also a teacher. She calls her class Dunderheads, and one day goes too far in taking away a broken cat from one of the children. His nickname was Junkyard and he had found it in the trash, a perfect gift for his feline-loving mother. When Miss Breakbone basically dared Junkyard to try to get it back, the class turned to Einstein, a boy with a brilliant mind for figuring things out and the narrator of the story. The children all had talents that they are nicknamed for. Together they formed the perfect set of skills to break into Miss Breakbone’s castle of a house and retrieve the cat.
This book is a marvelous mix of impossible mission intrigue and school misfits. Fleischman has created characters that are unique, strange and great fun. His text is simple, perfect for readers in first and second grades who want a book with pizzazz but are more comfortable with lots of illustrations. Roberts’ illustrations are a large part of the book. Much of it is done with panels like a graphic novel, enhancing the feel that the book is for slightly older children than most picture books. Roberts illustrations are dramatic, silly, and suit the subject perfectly. His towering and glowering Miss Breakbone is a frightening figure indeed. The danger is heightened by his illustrations rather than diminished, much to the delight of readers.
Highly recommended, this book fits a niche for picture books that will be of great interest to newly independent readers. It is also a wonderful read aloud, filled with tension, drama and humor galore. Appropriate for ages 5-6 as a read aloud, but also appropriate for ages 6-8 as a self-read.
This book is a marvelous mix of impossible mission intrigue and school misfits. Fleischman has created characters that are unique, strange and great fun. His text is simple, perfect for readers in first and second grades who want a book with pizzazz but are more comfortable with lots of illustrations. Roberts’ illustrations are a large part of the book. Much of it is done with panels like a graphic novel, enhancing the feel that the book is for slightly older children than most picture books. Roberts illustrations are dramatic, silly, and suit the subject perfectly. His towering and glowering Miss Breakbone is a frightening figure indeed. The danger is heightened by his illustrations rather than diminished, much to the delight of readers.
Highly recommended, this book fits a niche for picture books that will be of great interest to newly independent readers. It is also a wonderful read aloud, filled with tension, drama and humor galore. Appropriate for ages 5-6 as a read aloud, but also appropriate for ages 6-8 as a self-read.