Big Nate in a Class by Himself

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY APR 12, 2010

Star of a long-running comic strip, sixth-grader Nate Wright makes the leap to a cartoon-laden chapter book in the smart alecky vein of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Nate (who s not exactly Joe Honor Roll ) dissects the horrors of middle school, from vindictive teachers to the popular girls lunch table, aka Fort Knox ( You can try to get in, but you have no chance ). The wisp of a plot revolves around a fortune cookie that predicts, Today you will surpass all others, launching Nate into actions that indeed cause him to surpass all others with seven detentions. (His ill-conceived plans include speed-eating 148 servings of cafeteria green beans.) The book s appeal lies in Nate s wickedly astute observations and the savvy integration of cartoons with text. Angry teachers speech bubbles drip with icicles, and sidebars house humorous asides: When a teacher completely snaps and starts screaming, it s called a Full Godfrey. (When Mrs. Godfrey does it, it s called Monday). Though Nate may not achieve the fame he seeks with his classmates, this sharp-witted and unflappable protagonist just might find it with readers. Ages 8 12.