If your kids liked "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" - I have a recommendation!

I love Target. I never get out of there for under $100, which isn't so good, but it has so much!

I was shopping for a friend's son's birthday gift when I stumbled upon something. I was in the book aisle (surprised? no...) and Nicholas was grabbing every Elmo book he could find and plopping down on the tiled floor to read them...so I had a minute or two to browse.

I was looking for a few things...more reading for Ali (my Weds. K reader) - she's ready for a little more challenge and a change from Katie Kazoo. I didn't really find anything. There are the "Rainbow Fairy" books - maybe those, or Puppy Place -- maybe...I am not sure. I think I need to take her on a "field trip" with me to Bookpeople, where she can select something, and with notebook in hand, she can also make a list of books she wants to read later.

I was also looking for some 5th grade level "girl" books. I have a friend in Houston, and her daughter has hit a reading slump. I don't have a ton of that genre in my arsenal, so I was looking to see if I could get any new ideas. Again, brick wall.

BUT! One bright yellow book caught my eye. "Big Nate in a Class by Himself" by Lincoln Pierce. Never heard of the author, nor was it the cover that made me pick it up. Well, it was PART of the cover...it was a recommendation by Jeff Kinney written in a quote across the top. "Big Nate is funny, big time." I snatched it up. See what happens? We need to teach kids to do that. Maybe a cover isn't that awesome, and we don't really know if we'd like it, but if an author who we DO like recommends it, or writes the FORWARD of a book -- we can pretty much count on liking that book too.

I scanned it quickly -- written much like the "Diary" series...comic, boy in school, boy meets funny challenges, humor, about a 2-3 grade read. What the heck. I bought it.

Part of me was thinking, "This is great! I know my boys have read and reread the Diary books, and it would be good for them to have similar material, yet a new character, new author. Another was thinking of you all. I know if I may need it, so might YOU! :)

So I read it, but not after Matt beat me to the end. He read it in one day -- took it to brother's baseball game, read in the car, read in the wonderful warm sunshine out on the deck while eating lunch. And he thought it was a great book.

Now Ben and Sam are taking turns (Mom set up that system - to avoid squabbles) with it. So far, all I hear is laughter.

I enjoyed it too...my favorite page was when he talked about his teacher pulling a "Full Godfrey." Ms. Godfrey is one of his teachers. This was another teacher. Lincoln Pierce has a small square "Glossary" to explain:

"When a teacher completely snaps and starts screaming,

it's called a Full Godfrey. (When Ms. Godfrey does it, it's called Monday)."

And so, I recommend it...the blurb on the back says Book 2 is coming soon! I can't wait!