'The Worst' Series by Dave Barry

11 and Up

Eight-grader Wyatt Palmer is on his way north from Miami, Florida, to Washington, D.C. along with his classmates. Wyatt, his best friend, Matt, and a few other friends fine themselves in a heap of trouble – not just with their teachers – but from two mysterious men they first meet on their flight to the nation’s capital. Throughout their trip, the kids try to stay out of danger while trying to save the president from an attack.

This is a great book full of adventure and laughs that any kid would love. Adults too. I read the ending to my mom and she couldn’t stop laughing, I think she liked it more than I did.

The oddest thing about the book is that in the first chapter, Wyatt takes us off topic by telling us a story about his Dad and his underwear. It’s kind of like the author was getting us ready for the main story by telling us this hilarious mini story.

This book reminds me of the movies I watched the most as a child, where the kids solved the mystery and saved the day. My favorites were ‘Clubhouse Detectives’ and ‘Message in a Cellphone’. But those kids didn’t have iPhones to look stuff up like the kids in the book, which is an unfair advantage if you ask me.

*****

We join Wyatt Palmer once again but he is no longer seen as a hero: He is now just another undersized freshman at Coral Cove High School. Things go wrong for Wyatt when his friend Matt Diaz, who unfortunately is an idiot, decides to bring his pet ferret, Frank, to school. Through an unfortunate turn of events Frank ends up in the hands of the Bevin brothers, who are the most popular boys at Coral Cove High but also the nastiest. When Wyatt and Matt sneak into the Bevin’s water front mansion to rescue Frank, they stumble onto the Bevin family’s dark and deadly secret.

It’s hard to believe but this book was even more exciting than the first one and that’s saying a lot because the first one was pretty nail biting at the end. But this one kept me nervous the entire time.

This book starts off with another pointless but entertaining mini story. I’m not saying it wasn’t good but the mini story in the first book was funnier.

The one thing that made me so angry reading this story was that it had a type of villain that I despise. Worst of all, there were three of them. The type of villain I’m talking about is one that exists in real life, the type that gets away with anything, including murder, just because they have a lot of money and know the right people. And the main villain planned to do something so idiotic, so inhuman, that I was hoping the worst would happen to him.

I don’t know if Dave Barry will be writing another book for this series but if he does you can expect an opinion on it.

George by Alex Gino

Anyone who wants to

BE WHO YOU ARE.

When people look at George, they think they see a boy. But she knows she’s not a boy. She knows she’s a girl.

One day, her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte’s Web. George really wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can’t even try out for the part because she’s a boy.

With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Before we start, let’s just get one thing straight here. I know a lot of you are confused after reading that summary. Well I was when I first read it. You might be wondering ‘How can anybody think this girl is a boy?’ I was wondering that too.

I didn’t understand this until the third chapter and the only way I can explain it is this: She is a girl trapped in a boy’s body. She has the body and all the parts of a boy but she has the mind of a girl. I know I’m not explaining this right. I read the book and I still don’t really understand how it works.

If you’re wondering why I’m making a big deal about this it’s because when I first read the summary I thought this story was about an actual girl who everyone was mistaking as a boy. I didn’t realize my mistake until the third chapter. I just felt like I should warn you before you read the book so you don’t get surprised like I was. But I also feel like I shouldn’t have warned you because it might discourage you from reading it.

I’m not saying this isn’t a good book; it’s a good way of giving kids an understanding towards transgenders. I really don’t have an opinion about gays or transgenders or etc. I just think ‘Let people do what they want, it’s their life.’