Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-made Catastrophes

September 1, 2010

Back for a third adventure, anxious Alvin Ho faces such terrifying scenarios as a class visit to the houses of famous deceased authors in his Concord, Mass., hometown and negotiating the particulars of being invited to a girl's birthday party, even as he yearns to be invited to the shindig of another (male) classmate. As in the first two in the series, illustrator Pham's expressively appealing ink drawings add life, and Alvin proves an engaging narrator, whose imagination runs wild to hilarious effect. His likable, funny siblings and caring, if at times exasperated, parents are also along for the ride. Troubling in this volume, however, is that at the coveted boys' birthday party, everyone is dressing up as Indians and settlers, and Alvin figures his ticket is a "deluxe Indian Chief outfit." Although there is a brief note in the always-creative glossary regarding the colonization of Native peoples' land during King Philip's War, there is no textual mitigation of a running joke that seems anachronistic at best--readers may well be left feeling uncomfortable with the stereotype. (Fiction. 7-10)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010
In this third book Alvin continues to be terrified of everything, including the "creepy" dead authors in his hometown of Concord, Massachusetts, who, though dead, stubbornly continue to give house tours. Readers will have double the fun, as Alvin meets two such history re-enactors (Emerson and Alcott) on a field trip; is invited to two same-day-and-time birthday parties; and finds himself dressed in girls' clothing not once but twice. In addition, two ordinary scenes from real life make rare children's-book appearances: someone is actually seen smoking a cigarette (Louisa May Alcott -- who knew?); and Alvin and the gang, blithely unconcerned with political correctness, enthusiastically play settlers and Indians. Thankfully, neither event results in a moral; this is fiction, not fable. The story's only life lesson comes from Alvin himself, when he accepts a last-minute invite to classmate Hobson's party and decides to skip Flea's birthday tea party; en route, he feels that something isn't right, and, all on his own, realizes that he can't let Flea down. Speeding along like a hyperactive kid, Look's story doesn't give even reluctant readers a chance to lose interest; like Alvin fervently wishing for a "deluxe Indian Chief outfit with fringe...complete with bow and arrow and the huge feather headdress that makes you look like a giant bird," readers will be wishing for more about Alvin. jennifer m. brabander

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2011
In his third book, Alvin meets two history re-enactors (Emerson and Alcott) on a field trip; is invited to two same-day-and-time birthday parties; and finds himself dressed in girls' clothing not once but twice. Speeding along like a hyperactive kid, Look's story doesn't give even reluctant readers a chance to lose interest--they'll be fervently wishing for more Alvin.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)