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

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...

Review: I Hate Everything!

I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book. Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.

De la hora del cuento: La letra "D"

Cuentos Si yo tuviera un dragón Por Tom and Amanda Ellery New York, NY : Lectorum Publications, c2006. Libro ilustrado. "Cansado de jugar con su hermano pequeño, un niño imagina tener un dragón como compañero de juegos." --Editor Cuentitos Tiburón Grande, Tiburón Pequeño Escrito por Anna Membrino Ilustrado por Tim Budgen New York, New York : Hyperion Books for Children, 2017. Fácil. "Descubre todo sobre los opuestos en este libro infantil lleno de tiburones. El tiburón grande tiene dientes grandes; el tiburón pequeño tiene dientes pequeños. El tiburón grande nada rápido; el tiburón pequeño nada lento. ¡Pero ambos tienen hambre! ¿Podrán encontrar comida?" --Editor Otros libros sobre la letra "D " Las estrellas de Din Dibujando en el campo Nuestra celebración del Día de Muertos ¡Los dragones son lo peor! Cómo atrapar a un dragón

Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Search This Blog