Review by Booklist Review
Upset because one student has made fun of another's unusual lunch, Grace's teacher, Miss Lois, decides that the class will research foods from around the world. Grace chooses flavored potato chips leading to the complications and friendship misunderstandings fans of this series have come to expect. New characters, such as the hyperactive Owen 1, keep the story fresh, but readers will most enjoy Grace's angst-ridden first-person narrative, delivered with her usual comic touch. Cartoon illustrations (and directions for creating a zine) enliven the text and help to showcase Grace's artistic talent. A sixth adventure is planned.--Weisman, Kay Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Grace's third-grade class is researching foods of the world, a topic suggested by the principal after he overhears Owen, the class troublemaker, ridiculing another student's lunch. That night, Grace's neighbor gives her a bag of delicious roast-chicken-flavored potato chips from France, so she decides to study unusual potato chips of the world. Harper once again gets the emotions just right. The child is jealous when her dad seems more interested in her best friend's project than in hers. She gains a greater respect for troublemaking Owen when she misbehaves, and instead of tattling on her, he takes the blame. As in the previous books, Grace's narration meanders somewhat, and the text is broken up into short sections with small, cartoon sketches, diagrams, and lists. As an added highlight, this title includes instructions on how to make a zine (after Grace receives one as a gift). This easy chapter book is sure to be popular with fans of the series, but it also stands alone.-Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) In Harper's fifth book about third-grader Grace, Grace's class is studying foods of the world, following an incident involving someone's lunch being called "disgusting." When Grace's neighbor Augustine Dupre fortuitously brings her some roast chicken-flavored potato chips from France, Grace has found her class project: international chips. Once again Grace's cartoon drawings (a smiling pencil saying "I can make everything okay") and her lists ("What I Know About Potato Chips Now," "What I Know About Potato Chips After Twenty Minutes on the Computer") help make reading a breeze, and Harper's knowledge of third graders' concerns is right on target. When Grace's dad gets all fired up about helping Grace's friend Mimi with her project on hot dogs (his favorite food), Grace describes her jealous feelings better than most third graders could, but readers will appreciate her straightforward, honest discussion of strong emotions they'll be sure to relate to. The book's only shortcoming is that it doesn't come with a complimentary bag of potato chips. So grab your own (mango chili-flavored, anyone?) and follow Grace's advice to have lots of water on hand, as "chip eating makes you very, very thirsty!" From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
