Reviewed by Allison Fraclose for TeensReadToo.com
For third-grader Kaline Klattermaster (who is small for his age and started school early besides), life is full of rules:
1. Do not walk on grass!
2. The chair is not a jungle gym.
3. Placemats on the kitchen table must be exactly two inches apart.
4. Your stuffed dog is not real (even though it's sitting right there).
How he would love to dig in the grass, and how on earth is he supposed to sit still when he's not allowed to talk at the table? Usually, when Kaline ends up sitting upside down, his father goes to the garage for alone time.
Now that Kaline's dad has left, that leaves only Kaline's crazy mom to set the timer on his bath (which she doesn't), and take him to school (which sometimes doesn't happen). It's up to Kaline to take care of things himself until his father gets home, but even he can't handle it himself.
Luckily, he finds aide in the mysterious neighbor, Mr. P, Mr. P's dog, Maestro, and Kaline's two older brothers (who also happen to be in third grade, and who live in a giant tree house with 100 puppies).
Intended for younger readers, I found this book highly enjoyable, fast-paced, and a little crazy, which I think is how it's meant to be.
For third-grader Kaline Klattermaster (who is small for his age and started school early besides), life is full of rules:
1. Do not walk on grass!
2. The chair is not a jungle gym.
3. Placemats on the kitchen table must be exactly two inches apart.
4. Your stuffed dog is not real (even though it's sitting right there).
How he would love to dig in the grass, and how on earth is he supposed to sit still when he's not allowed to talk at the table? Usually, when Kaline ends up sitting upside down, his father goes to the garage for alone time.
Now that Kaline's dad has left, that leaves only Kaline's crazy mom to set the timer on his bath (which she doesn't), and take him to school (which sometimes doesn't happen). It's up to Kaline to take care of things himself until his father gets home, but even he can't handle it himself.
Luckily, he finds aide in the mysterious neighbor, Mr. P, Mr. P's dog, Maestro, and Kaline's two older brothers (who also happen to be in third grade, and who live in a giant tree house with 100 puppies).
Intended for younger readers, I found this book highly enjoyable, fast-paced, and a little crazy, which I think is how it's meant to be.
