The Many Troubles of Andy Russell - Hardcover

Adler, David A.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0152012958 ISBN 13: 9780152012953

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1998

Synopsis

Andy is having a terrible day--his gerbil has escaped in the basement, he is late for school, and he finds out that his mom is pregnant, making less room for his friend, Tamika, to stay until her mom recovers from an accident--but things get better as Andy puts his mind to work.

About this title

About the Authors

DAVID ADLER has written more than a hundred books, including Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man and Mama Played Baseball. He lives on Long Island, New York. 

WILL HILLENBRAND has written and illustrated many award-winning picture books, including The House That Drac Built by Judy Sierra and his own Down by the Station. He lives in Terrace Park, Ohio.

Reviews

Grade 3-5-Fourth-grader Andy Russell faces a host of problems over a period of a few days. They range from escaped gerbils to finding out that his mother is pregnant to worrying about a friend who would like to live with Andy's family because her foster parents are going to South America. All of the boy's troubles, though, great or small, are described in a fast-paced, breezy style and kids will be sure to identify with his befuddlement and concerns. Fortunately, Andy's best friend is on hand to supply some funny one-liners. The black-and-white illustrations capture the humor of the story, although readers may be somewhat unsettled by the 180 degree swivel of snotty Stacy Ann's head on one of the pages. This is the first in a series of books about Andy and his friends, a fact that will undoubtedly be good news to many young readers.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Seven of Andy's gerbils have escaped from their cage at home (and his mother hates animals). At school, preoccupied with thoughts of his pets on the loose, the boy offers "China" as the solution to a math problem. And just when he's about to ask his parents if his friend Tamika (whose foster parents are moving away for a year) can come live with the Russell family, he learns that his mother is pregnant. Such are the woes of Andy Russell, whom Adler (author of the Cam Jansen books) introduces in this jaunty novel, the first of a series. Displaying a knack for creating credible characters and amusing dialogue, Adler shapes a cast that youngsters will want to follow up on in future tales. Among them are Tamika, whose birth parents are recovering from a serious car accident; and earnest Bruce, Andy's best friend. Other personalities with potential are Rachel, Andy's snippy older sister, who condescendingly refers to his pets as "mice"; and Stacy Ann, the class brown-noser who corrects Andy's wrong answers "in her best I-know-and-you-don't tone." Though the hero manages to solve his problems this time, it won't be long before he next hits hot water. Readers will likely be standing by when he does. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 2^-5. A new beginning chapter book series introduces Andy Russell, in many ways a typical fourth-grade kid. Andy wants to do well in school but has problems paying attention in class; he's got a perfectionist, goody-goody older sister he admires and envies but inadvertently manages to aggravate; he wants to show his folks he's responsible, but it seems timing is everything, and Andy's is just a little off. His pet gerbils escape; his friend Tamika needs a new foster family; his mother is pregnant. Andy's family and friends certainly face real challenges and hardships, but issues are somewhat oversimplified and treated superficially as the book heads quickly toward its almost fairy tale^-like ending. Still, Adler paves the way for part two of Andy's inevitable new challenges--coping with a new baby in the family and adjusting to life with Tamika as a foster sibling. The text, accompanied by black-and-white drawings by Will Hillenbrand, is friendly and accessible, and the characters are engaging; kids will no doubt relate to Andy's snowballing troubles, both great and small, and appreciate the simple humor. Shelle Rosenfeld

Edition details

• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0152012958
• ISBN 13: 9780152012953
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Hillenbrand Will
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 144