The Brand New Kid by Katie Couric Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Brand New Kid
Book Review: Clunky rhymes almost redeemed by delightful illustrations
Summary: 3 Stars
Katie Couric's theme is familiar enough. A young person endures the travails of being the outsider until they are taken into the fold of the group who once persecuted them. This theme, though, has received far better treatment by real authors.Couric's "celebness" may be bona fide but her writing is not. "The Brand New Kid" is written in verse that stumbles so often that it robs the book of playfulness and flow. What's more, her protaganist is flat and uninteresting. He is persecuted but, unfortunately, that is about all he is. Throughout his torments, Couric's "new kid" remains insipid, displaying none of the pluck or defiance which we associate with our favourite children's book characters. Any sympathy we feel for him stems only from Marjorie Priceman's touching illustrations.
More interesting than the book itself is the reason why it was allowed to become a best-seller. Besides the hype NBC bestowed on its network darling, behemoth Barnes & Noble gave it prominent display and high praise nationwide in each of their stores. Suspiciously, B&N has a major marketing role on NBC's web-site. Something's rotten in Denmark...
Couric's efforts in writing this mini-morality play were no doubt sincere. Nevertheless, this book's only claim to prominence comes from its author's celebrity status. Would that these celebrity egoes stop invading the world of children's books, and instead make room for a new generation's EB White or Roald Dahl.
Book Review: Doesn't Work as a Read-Aloud
Summary: 2 Stars
I agree with the reader from Amherst that the rhymes in this book are VERY clunky. I bought it for the charming illustrations and for the theme (I'm currently working on a lesson plan about acceptance, diversity, etc.). However, I regret buying it, because it's extremely difficult to read out loud. The rhymes are awkward, and the inconsistent metre ruins any sense of flow.There are plenty of high quality children's books that deal with this theme. Take a pass on this one, and try Wolf! by Sara Fanelli, or Something Else by Kathryn Cave and Chris Riddell. Both of these books have talented illustrators AND writers.
Book Review: Fantastic lesson hidden in adorable book
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great book. What an important lesson to teach children, acceptance of people that may seem different to them. And even more important, that it's OK not to succumb to peer pressure. But we all know that kids don't want to know they're learning a lesson. Katie Couric does a fantastic job of framing this in an experience that most children have probably either had or observed but never felt comfortable talking about. She says she's working on two other books, one about rejection. I hope she continues providing such thoughtful and interesting stories for kids (and their parents!) to learn from.Book Review: Great book for kids and adults: Attention, teachers!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great little book that deals well with a difficult but all too common problem--kids cruelty to other kids. I chose it because of the theme of kindness (too few children's books address this issue in an amusing, engaging way). I read it to my 7 year old son, who loved the rhymes and the illustrations, and who then chatted with me for ten minutes about how important it is to reach out to other kids, and about how hard it can be. I plan to read it to my son's class this Thursday during story time, and then to conduct a discussion on how the kids can be kind to each other and why it's important to have courage.
Katie Couric's poetry is fun and engaging and Marjorie Priceman's illustrations are lovely. I am a self-employed Human Resources consultant and trainer, so I mostly teach adults, and I can tell you that there are many grown-ups who encounter difficulties at work because they have never acquired the skills necessary to deal successfully with other people. It is in our best interests to spend some time teaching our kids about kindness and courage and tolerance. This book does that, and with a light hand, so that it's still fun for kids and adults. I can't wait for more books!
Book Review: Great book for young readers
Summary: 5 Stars
A great buy for children. I bought this for my daughter who is only one, but my stepdaughter who is 9 also enjoyed it. The illustrations are lovely and the story reads easily. It is whimsical and thoughtfully written and teaches children a great lesson.