Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
by Graham Salisbury
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Book Summary Information
Author: Graham SalisburyEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-03-24
ISBN: 0385737017
Number of pages: 160
Publisher: Wendy Lamb Books
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780385737012
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
Book Review: Graham Salisbury Charms Younger Readers with Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
Summary: 5 Stars
Well-known young adult author Graham Salisbury's newest novel, Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet, ventures into the realm of primary grade readers and aspires to charm an entire new group of readers with his small kid stories. Although this is Salisbury's first book written specifically for younger readers--from first graders ready for "chapter books" to fourth graders who are the same age as the class of rascals in Trouble Magnet--this is clearly no longer uncharted waters for Salisbury. The continuing adventures of rascal Calvin Coconut will certainly whet the appetite of younger readers and encourage them to read on their own as well as clamor for their parents or teachers to read aloud to them.
Like the Graham Salisbury I have watched charm student (and adult!) audiences with his natural flow of small kid time stories, in Trouble Magnet he captures the realities of elementary kids' mischievousness, fears of repercussion, and triumphs. As a teacher, I appreciate Salisbury's uncanny knack for understanding and conveying the nuances of the dynamics of the classroom; he shows us both sides, too. We see the frantic teacher on the first day of the school year (Mr. Purdy's Fourth Grade Boot-Camp) trying to figure out which kids are the rascals and need to be seated far away from each other, when to be suspicious of kids' behavior, and how to maintain the fragile balance between order and chaos in the classroom. We also see into the minds of fourth grade "trouble magnet" Calvin and his friends who love to bring excitement (such as jars holding spiders, ants, lizards, mice or even a centipede) with them to school. Salisbury realistically includes in his cast of characters Willy, "the newest blondest kid in the fourth grade," and fifteen-year-old Stella, a visitor from Texas staying in Calvin's household, who talks funny and doesn't yet have a taste for the local delicacies such as dried shrimp. With this mix of characters, the next adventure is always about to happen!
Although this book delighted my own seventh graders when I read an excerpt aloud to them, I was curious to see how the intended audience of younger students would react. To this end, I enlisted the help of my colleague Mary Jo, a first grade teacher at my school, who elatedly took the book home to select passages to read aloud to her students. Coincidentally, she chose the same chapters I had shared with my students: chapters 3 and 8, "Centipede" and "Escape," respectively. Her students were "enthralled!" They understood what a magnet does, got excited when the centipede got loose, and loved the illustrations and especially the map of Calvin's Kailua neighborhood (some of the students live in that part of Oahu).When I talked with the first graders briefly, they excitedly asked where they could get the book so they could read about the rest of Calvin's adventures on their own.
Artist Jacqueline Rogers's delightful illustrations perfectly capture the personalities of the characters, the diversity of their ethnic backgrounds, and the genuine sense of the Hawaii setting. Her colorful cover drawing, especially, is a magnet for the younger students.
Graham Salisbury has certainly found a new audience for his delightful books. My colleague, her students, and I are already among readers looking forward to the second and third books in the Calvin Coconut trilogy.
Summary of Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet
Fourth-grader Calvin lives near the beach in Oahu with his mom and little sister. Mom says: ?You?re the man of the house.? But Calvin?s not great at being the man of the house, or taking care of his responsibilities. He?s too busy having fun with his pals, and avoiding Tito, the bully.Trouble Magnet is the first book in a new series for younger readers full of all the fun of growing up in Hawaii. It introduces a wonderful multicultural cast of characters, including Mr. Purdy, who calls his fourth-grade class Boot Camp; Uncle Scoop, who runs the lunch wagon at the beach; Ledward, Mom?s 6'7" boyfriend; and gorgeous, intimidating, 15-year-old Stella-from-Texas, who arrives to be the live-in babysitter?and to step all over Calvin?s turf.
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