APA Citation: Adderson, C. (2014). Jasper John Dooley, star of the week. (B. Clanton, Illus.) [EPUB E-book]. Retrieved from http://tinyurl.com/mjpbw87
Plot summary: Big news: Jasper John Dooley finally gets to be the Star of the Week at school. Unfortunately, things aren’t going the way that Jasper had planned. His show-and-tell presentation doesn’t go as well as he had hoped, and his best friend Ori has a new baby sister while Jasper… does not. Jasper John Dooley tells the story of an young student trying to navigate elementary school.
Relation to other works: Jasper John Dooley reminds me of Barbara Park’s Junie B. Jones series.
Appeal: Jasper John Dooley is a cute story featuring a character that many will relate to; Jasper’s worries are completely appropriate for his age. Further, Ben Clanton’s black and white illustrations are a great addition to the novel.
Audience or readership: Ages 5-8.
Limitations or weaknesses: Nothing really major happens, and I think that the book would have benefited from a slightly more exciting plot. Readers are treated to a little humour here and there, but it is quite mild.
Overall assessment: Jasper John Dooley is a fine story, and certainly a good example of an early chapter book. The illustrations looked great, both on my laptop and my Kobo. The title character is easy to relate to and there are some funny episodes. I would have appreciated more conflict or antics, but overall a cute book. Grade: B-
KIDS LIT FTW! 