Cool Zone with the Pain and the Great One

June 1, 2008
Gr 1-3-In the third easy chapter book about the Pain (first-grader Jake) and the Great One (third-grader Abigail), Blume relates several common childhood concerns. Each chapter begins with an illustration to let readers know which sibling is narrating. The Great One tells about her brother losing a tooth and her phase of wanting to be known as Violet Rose. Jake explains what happened the day he was a waiter when the first graders opened the "Breakfast Club" in their classroom and about the time a student took her dog to school and it ran off with Jake's stuffed elephant. The two siblings squabble but it is normal, harmless teasing, and when the chips are down they band together, as in the chapter about their run-in with the school bully. The family cat, Fluzzy, ends the book with a brief chapter of how he also would like a new name. Stevenson's trademark ink sketches add interest and humor to the stories. No new ground is broken here, but the topics are those to which early-elementary graders can relate."Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2008
Blume continues a series that started as a picture book and then expanded into a chapter book series with Soupy Saturdays with the Pain and the Great One (2007). This entry finds first-grader Jake, the Pain to his sister, and third-grader Abigail, the self-proclaimed Great One, telling their stories in alternating chapters. Their concerns are familiar and reader friendly: a loose tooth, being bullied, love of a stuffed animal, and, of course, sibling rivalry. Yet brother and sister are always there for each other, and the durability of the bond is the strong underpinning for Blumes frothy style. Recently independent readers will find this just the book to push their skills forward. Stevensons gray-washed line illustrations add to the fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2008
This third book in the series continues the story of older sister Abigail ("the Great One") and younger brother Jake ("the Pain"). In alternating chapters, the two tell about day-to-day embarrassments and successes while also dealing with each other's foibles. Blume's understanding of sibling dynamics is perfect for early chapter-book readers. Stevenson's droll pen-and-ink illustrations help set the light tone.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)