My Life as a Potato

By Arianne Costner

Random House, 2020. 261 p.

Ben Hardy has just moved from California to Idaho with his family—which overall is good…except for the fact that it is harder for Ben to avoid potatoes in Idaho. See, Ben has a potato curse (once he broke his arm while tripping over a bag of potatoes, he once got hurt by a cat named tater tot, and his mom makes awful mashed potatoes). When Ben causes an accident in the school lunchroom and as punishment must substitute for the school’s mascot at four basketball games, Ben is horrified and wants to keep it a secret (since the school mascot is a potato). Of course, the secret causes a lot of mayhem and confusion with his friends and the kids he hopes to be friends with.

Readers who love laughing at comical situations and characters who care about others (even if they want to pretend to re-invent themselves and be too cool to care) will enjoy this story. The friendships, the honesty from Ben about who his is and who he wants to be, and the comedy surrounding a potato mascot makes this story. Give this to readers who want realistic middle school situations and a good dose of humor on the side.

Comments

Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) by Pamela Espeland & Elizabeth Verdick

If there's one book today's kids need to read, it is Dude, That's Rude! (Get Some Manners) . The authors provide a fun format for teaching etiquette to children. They discuss proper behavior at home, at school, at other people's homes and in public places. The information is completely up-to-date with cellphone manners and netiquette included. Fun, cartoony illustrations are on practically every page giving the book great visual appeal. This book is perfect for boys and girls in the fourth grade or older. WARNING: Bodily functions are discussed.

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin

Faces of the Moon by Bob Crelin Illustrated by Leslie Evans Charlesburg; 2009; unpaged Faces of the Moon is a short nonfiction book that describes the different phases of the moon and why the moon appears like it does on certain nights. This book is short and sweet so even the youngest of moon lovers will enjoy it. The layout is simplistic and easy to follow. I don’t know much about the moon so I found it very interesting.

Books That Take You There: Egypt

My parents are currently planning their first visit to Egypt. And they’re going without me . Like many of you, I’ve always found Egypt fascinating, whether learning about the gross details of making a mummy or eating delicious Egyptian food eaten by people who live there today. And if we can’t all go to Cairo with my parents, we can at least take a little trip through a few books that can take us straight to Egypt! Tail of the Mummy Cat Written by Chas! Pangburn Illustrated by Nic Touris Miami, FL: Papercutz, an imprint of Mad Cave Studios, 2024. Comic. 132 pages. Nana and Otto are siblings who visit Egypt with their travel-blogger mom. Nan loves learning about Egypt and its history, while Otto wishes he could’ve stayed home. However, both of their plans change when they accidentally let a mummified cat loose from a Pharaoh’s tomb. This graphic novel lets you see both of the sibling’s perspectives through this adventure —and their stories don’t always agree! This...

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog