The Adventures of Captain Underpants

Author/Illustrator: Dav Pilkey
Year: 1997
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Pages: 121
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Comedy/Graphic Novel
Series Information: First Book in the Captain Underpants series
Location: Jerome Horwitz Elementary School
Time Period: Present Day (1997)

Plot: George Beard and Harold Hutchins are best friends who attend fourth grade at Jerome Horwitz Elementary School. They love to play practical jokes and they love to create a comic book series called Captain Underpants ("Fighting for truth, justise, and all that is pre-shrunk and cottony"). When the school principal, Mr. Krupp, catches George and Harold playing a practical joke, he punishes them by making them his servants. In order to get out of their punishment, George and Harold order a hypno-ring, hoping to hypnotize Mr. Krupp so he will do their bidding instead. When they jokingly use the hypno-ring to make Mr. Krupp become Captain Underpants, Mr. Krupp takes off most of his clothes, uses the red curtains as a cape, and runs out of the school, looking for someone to save. George and Harold follow Mr. Krupp, and the three find themselves in the middle of a plot by Dr. Diaper to take over the world. SPOILER! George, Harold, and Captain Underpants work together to thwart Dr. Diaper and his evil robot henchmen, and they head back to school. George and Harold figure they should probably undo the hypnosis on Mr. Krupp, but they can't find the hypno-ring's instructions, and they end up throwing water on Mr. Krupp to wake him up. Since Mr. Krupp was awakened from his hypnosis the wrong way, any time someone snaps their fingers he becomes Captain Underpants again, setting up the premise for the rest of the series.

Comments: I can certainly see why Captain Underpants is so popular. The story has a lot of things in it that young boys find appealing: superheroes, practical jokers, jokes about bowel movements, and more. Pilkey tells a fun story, and he keeps readers' attention with his sense of humor, cartoon drawings, and one can never forget the Flip-O-Rama, which allows children to make the pictures on the pages move in actions scenes. Some parents might not want to let their children read these books because of some of the jokes, but most of the jokes stay on the clean side and are harmless. A good suggestion for reluctant male readers.

Themes: Superheroes, Practical Jokes

Red Flags: Jokes about bowel movements, Adults dressed only in underwear or diapers.

Multicultural Elements: Although very much a cartoon, George is also an African-American

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Author/Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Year: 2007
Publisher: Amulet Books/Harry N. Abrams Inc.
Pages: 217
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Realistic Fiction/Pseudo Graphic Novel
Series Information: First of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series
Location: Anywhere, USA
Time Period: Present Day (2007)

Plot: Greg Heffley is starting his sixth grade year at his local middle school, and he’s starting a journal as well. The adventures and problems he faces throughout the year, along with accompanying pictures, are recorded in the journal.

Comments: This book me laughing out loud! It also seemed to give a good representation of middle school life. From the horrors of P.E. class to the bullies who have hit their growth spurts to the general problems associated with growing up and figuring out your place in the world, it’s all in this book. The illustrations were funny and they helped move the story along. This book is easy to read and engaging, which makes it a great option to give to boys who are reluctant readers.

I can’t help including one of my favorite parts, which may help give everyone an idea of how this book is written. Warning! It reveals my twisted sense of humor as well! In this chapter, Greg has filled out a general form to speed up his Christmas thank-you note writing:

“Dear Aunt Loretta,
Thank you so much for the awesome pants! How did you know I wanted that for Christmas? I love the way the pants looks on my legs! All my friends will be so jealous that I have my very own pants. Thank you for making this the best Christmas ever!
Sincerely, Greg”

Themes: Bullies, Friendship, Families, Middle School Boys

Red Flags: General light boyish behavior

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

Author: Judy Blume
Year: 1972
Publisher: Puffin Books
Pages: 110
Reading Level: Intermediate (ages 9-12)

Genre: Realistic/Comedy
Series Information: The first book of the Fudge series
Location: New York, Manhattan
Time period: Present Day (1970s)

Plot: Peter Hatcher’s little brother, Fudge, is always getting into trouble. Peter’s parents rely on him to help with his younger brother so much that Peter wonders if they keep him around just because he can help them control the feisty three year-old. SPOILER! Peter’s patience is tested to the limit when Fudge eats Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.

Comments: This was a fun book to read. It was funny and lighthearted, but it still dealt with issues that are sure to trouble older children. How does one reconcile their needs for attention and love when they have a younger sibling who seems to require it more? Does the fact that the younger siblings get more attention mean that the older child is no longer wanted? While these can be tough issues, the book’s light-hearted tone will keep children reading to see what hijinks Fudge will get himself into next. The story is less plot-driven than one would expect. Each chapter is really a different example of how Fudge acts up, with the last chapter culminating in Fudge’s most insane act of all when he swallows Peter’s pet turtle, Dribble.

Red Flags: General overacting by Fudge, including a “flying” episode in which teeth are lost, and of course the famous swallowing of a turtle.