Here Comes Trouble

February 1, 2018

Gr 5-7-Soren Skaar, a sixth grader from Minnesota, is devastated when his best friend Alex moves away and his cousin Flynn from Brooklyn, NY, comes to live with him for the year. Soren and Alex had been prolific pranksters at Camelot Elementary School, and now Soren needs a new partner in crime. Flynn is very different from Soren; he drinks green tea, wears skinny jeans, and excels at just about everything. Life for Flynn on Soren's farm is very different than his life in Brooklyn, but he makes friends quickly and has a strong academic work ethic. Flynn is the voice of reason when Soren pulls a prank which ruins a plant-growing experiment in science class. Soren's prank-gone-wrong causes Flynn to lose the spelling bee, and they stop speaking to each other, except for when they're working on their science fair project together. The story has funny moments and a healthy amount of potty humor. Characters are formulaic and predictable, including the overly enthusiastic, stay-at-home dad Jon, and the aptly named toddler brother Ivan who constantly gets away with making messes. Younger sister Ruth tries desperately to be included with Soren and his friends. Characters are faced with opportunities to make good choices and learn about friendship, which is nicely interwoven with the humorous undertones of the book. VERDICT Give this to fans of the "Wimpy Kid" series who are looking for longer novels.-Selene Athas, Glenelg Country School, Ellicott City, MD

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Can a mischief-maker and a do-good hipster find common ground? Soren's best friend and pranking co-conspirator, Alex, has moved away from their small hometown of Camelot, Minnesota. Without her, Soren may give up pranking altogether. Things start to look up when Soren's cousin Flynn arrives from Brooklyn to "study abroad" in Camelot. But Flynn, who loves green tea, yoga, and writing "inclusive" banjo tunes based on popular religious songs, is nothing like the best friend Soren imagined he would be. As the cousins start sixth grade at Camelot Elementary School and Flynn's unique flair and mad soccer skills translate to instant popularity, Soren gets the urge to prank again. At first the pranks seem like innocent fun, but when they start hurting other people--including Flynn--are they still worth the laugh? YA author Hattemer's first dip into middle-grade fiction is over-the-top hilarity with quick pacing, sure to engage Diary of a Wimpy Kid aficionados despite the absence of illustrations. The cast is majority white, with diversity implied by character names. Ms. Hutchins, the cousins' science teacher, is not only out to her students (her wife is causally mentioned), but vegan--excellent, if slightly underdeveloped, additions.Keenly observed details and memorable characters make this a sitcomworthy addition to the prankster pantheon. (Fiction. 9-12)

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April 1, 2018
Grades 4-7 Soren Skaar's sixth-grade year at Camelot Elementary isn't going like he'd hoped: his best friend and prankster partner, Alex, has moved away; plus, his cousin, Flynn, has come to live with Soren's family for the year. The boys are in the same grade but couldn't be more different. Soren procrastinates and lives for high jinks, while Flynn's a serious, no-nonsense student. Without Alex, it's going to be a long year. Can Soren find a new partner in crime? In this humorous tale of friendship, family, and middle school, the conflict and jealousy Soren feels in his daily life become tempered by compromise and appreciation. He contends with loss, makes new friends, and learns to get along with Flynn. His parents support his antics (and cherish the memories of their own prankster tricks) but insist he realize that following rules and being a good student and family member are paramount. The plot moves from planning to executing prank after prank, with school and home activities filling the gaps. Abundant dialogue makes this a fast, engaging read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Soren Skaar never thought he'd retire from being the best prankster in Camelot, Minnesota--until his best friend/partner-in-crime moved away. Now, Soren is stuck spending sixth grade with his well-behaved, green teadrinking hipster cousin, Flynn, who's visiting from Brooklyn for the year. An irrepressible little brother and an irascible rooster play into this lively comedy about a prankster learning to take life a little more seriously.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)