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AMBER BROWN GOES FOURTH-
School Library Journal
In the third entry of this popular series, Amber Brown begins fourth grade without her best friend, Justin, who has moved. Still unhappy over her parents' divorce, she doesn't want to meet the man her mother is seeing. To top it off, instead of going to Justin's house after school, she has to go to Elementary Extension. Determined not to let her problems get her down, she makes a new friend (after a few false starts), participates in a burping contest, and eventually realizes that her mother, too, needs to move on with her life. Reluctant and beginning readers will be drawn in by Danziger's present-tense, staccato style and by the short chapters. Kids coping with problems similar to Amber's will find encouragement, sympathy, and an upbeat way of taking responsibility for solving them. Entertaining and satisfying.-Connie Parker, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cleveland, OH
YOU CAN'T EAT YOUR CHICKEN POX, AMBER BROWN-
School Library Journal
In this sequel to Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon, Amber has completed the third grade and is looking ahead to an exciting summer. She is going to London with her Aunt Pam, and then on to Paris to see her father. Her parents are getting a divorce, yet she hopes that somehow she can bring them back together. Once in London, though, she comes down with the chicken pox, and her father comes to visit her. She then realizes that her parents won't get back together, but her dad does promise that he will return to the U.S. soon, and it looks like he and Amber's mother will communicate more openly in the future. Amber is bright, perky, and thoroughly likable, and the story is upbeat, authentic, and humorous. While recuperating, Amber writes funny letters to her friend Justin, plays board games with her aunt, and gets trapped in an elevator. She is a convincing eight-year-old in her behavior, interests, perceptions, and penchant for gross humor. Appealing black-ink cartoons appear throughout. This is a delightful selection, sure to please fans of the first book and win some new ones.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
AMBER BROWN IS NOT A CRAYON-
School Library Journal
She may not be a crayon, but Amber Brown is certainly blue over the fact that her best friend, Justin Daniels, is moving away. What's making it even harder is that he won't talk to her about how he feels and she can only assume he's not as broken up about it as she is. Then, while cleaning his room for the move, Justin throws away the chewing-gum ball they've been building for a year and a half. It's the last straw and the pair are no longer speaking at all. Finally, Amber's mother helps her understand that Justin's reticence is his way of protecting himself against his sadness and anxiety over leaving, and Amber makes the move that reconciles the two pals. There's lots of fun along with the pathos here; third graders, true to form, call each other outrageous names and gross each other out good-naturedly, and their teacher, Mr. Cohen, is a paragon of creativity and understanding. Ross's black-and-white sketches throughout add humor and keep the pages turning swiftly. Danzinger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade life, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine.-Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
AMBER BROWN WANTS EXTRA CREDIT-
School Library Journal
Fourth grade is off to a shaky start for Amber Brown, so she asks her teacher for extra-credit work. The girl learns that since she has not handed in her original assignments, she doesn't qualify. She realizes she needs to work hard on her upcoming projects so her mother won't find out about her poor performance. Paralleling this school situation is the fact that Amber is coping with her parents' divorce. She engages in all sorts of antics to emphasize her displeasure with her mother's new companion, and learns that her father (living in France) has also met someone. By the end of the story, Amber realizes that life holds change, as well as the potential for happiness. With her feisty, resilient personality, she is ready for it. Line drawings decorate the narrative. Readers will laugh out loud at the child's energetic capers and feel the sense of loss she expresses. Whatever the emotion, Danziger warrants "extra credit" for her latest addition to Amber Brown's escapades.Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY
School Library Journal
In the third entry of this popular series, Amber Brown begins fourth grade without her best friend, Justin, who has moved. Still unhappy over her parents' divorce, she doesn't want to meet the man her mother is seeing. To top it off, instead of going to Justin's house after school, she has to go to Elementary Extension. Determined not to let her problems get her down, she makes a new friend (after a few false starts), participates in a burping contest, and eventually realizes that her mother, too, needs to move on with her life. Reluctant and beginning readers will be drawn in by Danziger's present-tense, staccato style and by the short chapters. Kids coping with problems similar to Amber's will find encouragement, sympathy, and an upbeat way of taking responsibility for solving them. Entertaining and satisfying.-Connie Parker, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Cleveland, OH
YOU CAN'T EAT YOUR CHICKEN POX, AMBER BROWN-
School Library Journal
In this sequel to Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon, Amber has completed the third grade and is looking ahead to an exciting summer. She is going to London with her Aunt Pam, and then on to Paris to see her father. Her parents are getting a divorce, yet she hopes that somehow she can bring them back together. Once in London, though, she comes down with the chicken pox, and her father comes to visit her. She then realizes that her parents won't get back together, but her dad does promise that he will return to the U.S. soon, and it looks like he and Amber's mother will communicate more openly in the future. Amber is bright, perky, and thoroughly likable, and the story is upbeat, authentic, and humorous. While recuperating, Amber writes funny letters to her friend Justin, plays board games with her aunt, and gets trapped in an elevator. She is a convincing eight-year-old in her behavior, interests, perceptions, and penchant for gross humor. Appealing black-ink cartoons appear throughout. This is a delightful selection, sure to please fans of the first book and win some new ones.-Marilyn Taniguchi, Santa Monica Public Library, CA
AMBER BROWN IS NOT A CRAYON-
School Library Journal
She may not be a crayon, but Amber Brown is certainly blue over the fact that her best friend, Justin Daniels, is moving away. What's making it even harder is that he won't talk to her about how he feels and she can only assume he's not as broken up about it as she is. Then, while cleaning his room for the move, Justin throws away the chewing-gum ball they've been building for a year and a half. It's the last straw and the pair are no longer speaking at all. Finally, Amber's mother helps her understand that Justin's reticence is his way of protecting himself against his sadness and anxiety over leaving, and Amber makes the move that reconciles the two pals. There's lots of fun along with the pathos here; third graders, true to form, call each other outrageous names and gross each other out good-naturedly, and their teacher, Mr. Cohen, is a paragon of creativity and understanding. Ross's black-and-white sketches throughout add humor and keep the pages turning swiftly. Danzinger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade life, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine.-Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
AMBER BROWN WANTS EXTRA CREDIT-
School Library Journal
Fourth grade is off to a shaky start for Amber Brown, so she asks her teacher for extra-credit work. The girl learns that since she has not handed in her original assignments, she doesn't qualify. She realizes she needs to work hard on her upcoming projects so her mother won't find out about her poor performance. Paralleling this school situation is the fact that Amber is coping with her parents' divorce. She engages in all sorts of antics to emphasize her displeasure with her mother's new companion, and learns that her father (living in France) has also met someone. By the end of the story, Amber realizes that life holds change, as well as the potential for happiness. With her feisty, resilient personality, she is ready for it. Line drawings decorate the narrative. Readers will laugh out loud at the child's energetic capers and feel the sense of loss she expresses. Whatever the emotion, Danziger warrants "extra credit" for her latest addition to Amber Brown's escapades.Cheryl Cufari, N. A. Walbran Elementary School, Oriskany, NY
