Fourth-Grade Fuss
Grade 3-5&ndash;The characters from Hurwitz's popularClass Clown(HarperCollins, 1987) are back. Julio Sanchez is worried about being ready for the statewide standardized tests. His stomach hurts at test time, which turns out to be appendicitis. His friend Lucas offers him a cheat sheet but Julio finds out that the make-up test will be different and so he doesn't have to wrestle with his conscience. His teacher reassures him that tests get to the truth, and he simply needs to do his personal best. Each vignettelike chapter provides additional nicely tied-together subplots about a garage sale, an ice-skating party, and Julio's birthday. The secondary characters are well developed and successfully integrated into the story line. This believable family deals with realistic issues such as Ramon's driver's license exam and Grandma's medical procedures. Black line cartoons break up the text. This is an excellent addition for chapter-book readers, especially those who are preoccupied with standardized tests.&ndash;Sharon R. Pearce, Chippewa Elementary School, Bensenville, ILCopyright &copy; Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.