Hot Fudge Hero

Grade 1-3?In three short episodes, Bertie retrieves his baseball from grouchy Mr. Muckleberg's yard, encounters a fairy godfather while struggling with learning to play the saxophone, and adjusts to bowling with an unfamiliar ball. Through trial and error, he prevails each time and earns a secondary reward of a hot-fudge sundae. Written with a lighthearted touch, the text describes Bertie's determination and good nature. The short sentences in large-print text are set against plenty of white space, a format inviting to beginning chapter-book readers. Exaggerated pencil sketches that add humor and heighten interest appear on every two-page spread. A fitting addition.?Christina Dorr, Calcium Primary School, NY
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In the Redfeather series, an easy-to-read chapter book--with short lines of text, rather than paragraphs--that highlights a boy's small triumphs and his camaraderie with his friend, Isobel, his budding friendship with the ``mean'' neighbor next door, and his affection for his mother. The first story involves a bet between Bertie and his friend Isobel: Either he retrieves his ball from mean Old Man Muckleberg's yard by the agreed-upon deadline, or he'll have to buy her a hot fudge sundae. He consults a library book for lessons in making friends, with the wished-for results. Bertie is not as enterprising in learning to play the saxophone, however, quitting in frustration until the arrival of his fairy godfather. Finally, Bertie is a bit of a whiner when he can't find a favorite bowling ball for a match with his mother. The well- evoked setting and a mild lesson on adapting to circumstances add up to above-average fare from Brisson (Wanda's Roses, 1994, etc.). In tidy, comic black-and-white illustrations, Bluthenthal chooses major scenes and vignettes with real flair, adding to the humor in her depictions of Bertie's laid-back approach as well as the manners and the stances of the other characters. Funny and sweet. (Fiction. 7-11) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Gr. 1^-3, younger for reading aloud. This easy chapter book is excellent for beginning readers because the text is broken up into three related short stories. The hero of the title is Bertie, a likable going-into-second-grade kid, whose adventures always end with a hot fudge sundae. All three stories make the point that hard work and persistence pay off, particularly the finale, a humorous bowling adventure in which Bertie is determined to get his first strike despite getting stuck with a "plain, old, ugly orange" ball instead of the beautiful forest green one with silver streaks. Generously illustrated with attractive black-and-white and gray-toned drawings, this trio of clever tales is versatile enough to be used with middle-grade reluctant readers, as a read-aloud for younger children, or as an alternative reading selection for inclusion youngsters. Lauren Peterson