Gauthier, Gail. Happy Kid!GAUTHIER, Gail. Happy Kid! Penguin penguin, originally the common name for the now extinct great auk of the N Atlantic and now used (since the 19th cent.) for the unrelated antarctic diving birds. , Putnam. 230p. c2006. 0-399-24266-X. $16.99. J Kyle truly believes that his middle school is "the gateway to hell," as he tells his mother just before starting 7th grade, but she insists he's just determined to look for the worst in every situation and bribes him to read a self-help book entitled en·ti·tle tr.v. en·ti·tled, en·ti·tling, en·ti·tles 1. To give a name or title to. 2. To furnish with a right or claim to something: Happy Kid! to help him get over his "negativity." Faced with a student body that thinks he's a criminal due to last year's little misunderstanding with the shop teacher, exhaustingly difficult accelerated classes, a crush crush A combination commodity trade in which soybean futures are purchased and soybean meal or oil futures are sold. Compare reverse crush. who ignores him, and a thug who wants to be his new best friend, Kyle reluctantly gives the book a try, and soon comes to believe that it holds special messages for each reader. He takes up tae kwon do tae kwon do Korean martial art resembling karate. It is characterized by the use of high standing and jump kicks as well as punches and is practiced for sport, self-defense, and spiritual development. In sparring, blows are stopped just short of contact. and in the end finds himself doing the right if unpopular thing in an ethical situation that involves inadvertent cheating, and impressing an entirely different girl. Kyle's cynical, smart-alecky tone and humorous predicaments will draw readers in, along with the amusing juxtaposition juxtaposition /jux·ta·po·si·tion/ (-pah-zish´un) apposition. jux·ta·po·si·tion n. The state of being placed or situated side by side. of the perky perk·y adj. perk·i·er, perk·i·est 1. Having a buoyant or self-confident air; briskly cheerful. 2. Jaunty; sprightly. perk title and the frowny face icon on the cover, but this funny tale by the author of The Hero of Ticonderoga, Saving the Planet & Stuff, and A Year with Butch and Spike also subtly conveys some good advice. A fun, quick read for middle school and junior high students. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. |
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