Zoom, Boom, Huh?

Zoom! Boom! Bully is a 24-page beginning reader in a series called Jon Scieszka's Trucktown. Scieszka, the author of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, is also known for  1. serving as the National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, and 2. founding Guys Read, which promotes boys' literacy.

Zoom! Boom! Bully opens with a smiling red truck named Jack. With his rear end in the air, he unloads four barrels. They appear to go every whichaway. Big Rig, a grimacing blue eighteen-wheeler, then smashes through the barrels. "Zoom! Boom!" A pink truck, sporting eyelashes on her headlights and a horn that looks like a bow, comments about Big Rig, "He is such a bully."

More vehicles assemble items, with the same results by Big Rig. Splinters of a crate fly apart; tires bounce akimbo. However, it turns out that the other trucks were making a birthday cake for Big Rig. That's what all those things were for.

Big Rig speeds off with the cake (made of barrels, crates, tires, and concrete) on his flat bed. He jack-knifes, and somehow crashes through the cake. "...this was my best birthday ever!"

The Level 1 reader aims for "recognizing words," with "word repetition, familiar words and phrases, and simple sentences." Those elements? Check. But why are the trucks making a birthday cake for a bully? How can they use ingredients that have been zoomed and boomed? No check for the storyline, which could have used a good tune-up.

Zoom! Boom! Bully is a nominee in the Easy Reader category for the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards (the Cybils).

Comments

[Terry Doherty]

When I saw Jon Scieszka was the author, I figured I was missing something when I read this. Now I know it wasn't just me.

[Cindy T.]

Susie--you'll like this I think:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/community/groups/index.html?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aa70e3396-6663-4a8d-ba19-e44939d3c44fForum%3a6ffbcf5f-e39d-4d52-a396-72bccac13f54Discussion%3aa8760ec7-d4a7-4e82-b374-a5a39cc9b604

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

Terry, no, it wasn't just you. I kept wondering if pages were missing.

Thanks, Cindy. I think that the Washington Post does a good job of its books coverage.

[Steven at BookDads.com]

Hey, thanks for visiting our site.
We're in upstate NY, the snow was brief and didn't stick.

[Susan (Chicken Spaghetti)]

Steven, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Book Dads!