What is it about turning 8, or being in 3rd grade, that turns previously happily oblivious kids into neurotic worrywarts? All of my kids had a tough year when they were 8, and looking back on it, I did, too. I'm sure child development experts have interesting theories about it, but from my perspective, 3rd grade is a year full of anxiety that kids just have to get through. Coping with the trauma of third grade is the theme of, Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Disasters by Rachel Vail. Justin Krzeszewski, nicknamed Justin Case, is chock-a-block full of worries, from doing well in school to avoiding the monsters under his bed to having to climb the rope in gym. Justin has lost his favorite stuffed animal, but he can't tell anyone about it because he's pretty sure he's too old to have stuffed animals. He's convinced his life would be infinitely better if he had a dog--but when he finally gets one, he's terrified of it. And friend drama? Phew!
I loved this book, because Justin is such an appealing character, and so beautifully embodies that hard age when a child still needs the comfort of a stuffed animal and pretend play but is pretty sure no one else his age does. I was rooting for him from the start. A real enhancement to the written characterization of Justin was the very endearing illustrations by Matthew Cordell. The novel is presented somewhat similarly to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, in a combination of text and cartoony drawings, so I was expecting a smarty pants ripoff of Wimpy Kid, but was delightedly surprised at Justin's sweet vulnerability. He's a truly nice but very normal kid, which is surprisingly rare in children's literature these days. And although Gregg Heffley is an incredibly funny if completely heartless and self-absorbed character, I'd rather have a kid like Justin, worry warts and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment