Richard Clark (13)

Oh man, who doesn't love a book about kids skateboarding?! I thought skateboarding was the COOLEST thing as a kid, so this book would have been right up my alley!

Richard Clark brings a fun narrative yet again to the children's genre. His writing is fun, electric and full of comedy! The best part about these books is that it feels like it's written by a kid. Richard has an excellent talent for making the narrator sound sweet and as smart as any kid! I feel like I'm being whisked back to my childhood reading these books, since he can really get you into the mind of these characters.

Some of the references, like grey matter, might go over the heads of some kids but I thought it was great! Kids having to look up new words isn't a bad thing by any degree!

My biggest con for this book was that it was way too short! It's a fun read, but it could have been longer and been just as awesome! If it was going to remain this short, I think some pictures would really bump it up to the next level. Either way, it's short and sweet. It'll make a great, quick read for kids interested in action packed stories with a pinch of mystery!

Four out of five stars!… (more)

Richard Clark has another winner on his hands with Pandora's new book!

The cover itself was really cool - it gave me "Inside Out" (by Pixar) vibes. It's unique and not following the typical trend with recent covers (which I love, by the way! Uniqueness for the win!).

Pandora's sense of curiosity reminds me of myself when I was younger (and reminds me of many kids I know too!). Curiosity is a common trait among kids, which is sometimes lacking from children's novels and middle grade books. When you mix in the wide range of hysterical characters (that meet every middle grade trope in the book), well, you've got one awesome story!

Pandora really wants to know what's in a sandwich - and she seems like quite the science wiz! I loved that she was her own character with epic quirks. I'm tired of boring characters without personalities. Thank you Richard Clark! I also really loved the reference to Pandora (and the fact that she has a box she shouldn't open). That reference might go over the heads of most kids, but for adults reading it, it's absolutely hilarious! And really appreciated! It's G rated adult humor!

I'd say this book is a sweet fantasy novel (if you are looking for a specific genre), to a small degree. What else would you call an almost magical lunch box?

There's also some pictures floating about this book, which are really cute and funny! They were awesome, and helped show me some of the characters. The pictures are of the vices within Pandora's box.

Overall, the story is absolutely silly, but is the perfect middle grade story. It's not very long, so it's perfect for a bedtime read or for some zany fun in the middle of the day.

Four out of five stars!… (more)

What happens when a kid wants to become a billionaire? Well, they create a club, of course! Marty Gundy wants to be REALLY rich, so he made a club called FIUB (but it turned into FLUB) so all of the future internet ultra-billionaires could hang out! Marty is a tech whiz, which is why he will eventually be super duper rich.

I love this book because as a kid I always wanted to create a really cool school club or be apart of one. It attaches to those feelings that most kids have. Richard Clark has done this in every book I've read by him so far - he knows how to write in the mind of a child and really connect and identify with the reader.

Now, this story is SHORT. It's sweet and to the point, which makes it an excellent bedtime read for your youngings! It's also enjoyable for adults, but it really meets the children's novel/middle grade inbetween transition age where you want to read more advanced books but don't want to commit to a long story. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I liked Richard's other books, but I did think it was fun and a definite must read for anyone looking for a story to read their child! I highly recommend this book!

Overall, I thought this story was fun! It's cute, funny and really smart! I'd love for more children's books to be full of this level of intelligence!

Three out of five stars.… (more)

This crazy adventure is another epic story by Richard Clark!

Half of this story is the actual adventure, while the other half is a journal. Having this dual point of view is a change from Richard's typical story telling, but I found it worked perfectly within the story. Following Rudy and the wild shenanigans he goes on fit really well bouncing back and forth. All three of the boys in this story are hilarious and fun to follow along this epic journey. It almost felt like a cartoon I'd watch on the weekends when I was off from school as a kid! This is super high quality writing!

The action in this story continues at an excellent pace that keeps the audience engaged. I feel that this book is perfect for the middle grade audience! Although, I might not use this as a bedtime story. It's so action packed that it seems like the perfect, middle of the day read to get everybody wanting to run and jump around! There's also some truly incredible suspense (for a middle grade novel!) that really enhanced the story overall. I didn't expect that from Richard Clark!

Some of the chapters are very short, yet they felt just long enough. The book is a light, soft read despite the exciting action among the pages. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you're looking for an Indiana Jones type read for your children! The comedy, action and adventure will really catch your young readers!

Four out of five stars!… (more)