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msaplusteacher's review against another edition
4.0
A fun story for students with divorced parents. The main character Max is a 3rd grader who spends weekends at his dad's apartment. Although the they do fun things together it doesn't quite feel like home...yet! Can Max learn to call Dad's apartment home?
I hope to use this book for my character unit with my ELL and striving readers in 5th grade. Great characterization & fun adventures will have students cracking up at scenes like "the sore butt blues." The book is told in several parts which make it seem much shorter. Another bonus for younger or striving readers! A kid friendly book that kids will love & connect with!
I hope to use this book for my character unit with my ELL and striving readers in 5th grade. Great characterization & fun adventures will have students cracking up at scenes like "the sore butt blues." The book is told in several parts which make it seem much shorter. Another bonus for younger or striving readers! A kid friendly book that kids will love & connect with!
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Max's parents have recently divorced, and now that his dad has a new apartment, Max is spending some weekends there. It is an adjustment for both of them to get used to the new place and new routine, but they work together to problem solve and find the good things about their changed relationship. They go out for breakfast, on secret spy adventures, and get to know the new neighbors. This sweet and charming chapter book accurately portrays third grader Max's feelings and reactions as he works his way through this change. Both funny and poignant, this would be a fun read aloud for younger children as well. Highly recommended for grades 1 & up.
abigailbat's review against another edition
5.0
This wonderful transitional chapter book tells stories of third-grader Max who spends weekends with his dad. There's some masterful showing going on - although the reader understands that Max's parents have separated and Max's dad has a new apartment, it's all coming from what we're shown in the scenes, not stated from the child narrator. We also see how much Max's dad loves him - his bedroom is the only one that's been painted and furnished in the empty apartment, etc.
There are some really authentic emotions going on here. I think this is definitely a story that will resonate with children who have experienced divorce and it's not at all a story that's focused on the divorce, which is really nice to see.
I would hand it to kids who enjoy character-driven, loosely plotted stories like The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng or The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Levy.
There are some really authentic emotions going on here. I think this is definitely a story that will resonate with children who have experienced divorce and it's not at all a story that's focused on the divorce, which is really nice to see.
I would hand it to kids who enjoy character-driven, loosely plotted stories like The Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng or The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Levy.
jshettel's review against another edition
4.0
This is a very sweet early chapter book about Max, who is getting used to the idea of his mom and dad being divorced and his dad living in an apartment. The author keeps it light by focusing on the adventures dad and Max have as they settle in to a new lifestyle.
nerfherder86's review against another edition
3.0
This charming chapter book, for maybe 2nd-3rd graders?, is about a 3rd grader named Max who goes to spend the first three weekends post-divorce with his Dad in his Dad's new apartment. They play Spies together, go furniture shopping, make friends with new neighbors in the apartment building, and learn a little bit more about each other's interests and likes and dislikes. It's a sensitive portrait of adapting to a whole a new family dynamic, with Max discovering that just like some animals in nature, he too has "two habitats," his mom's and his dad's, and that he can be comfortable in both. It also shows how such a transition can be hard for the parents as well. Nice book, with cute little spot illustrations.
couillac's review against another edition
4.0
A stellar early chapter book that lovingly portrays an imperfect father and a wonderfully imaginative young boy learning to navigate a new living situation together. For families experiencing divorce, this book not only portrays a positive outcome but even offers a blueprint for handling some of the situations and misunderstandings that may arise. And for all other readers, it's just a gentle series of vignettes perfectly pitched to younger elementary readers that celebrates the relationship between a father and son. Just lovely.
federo999's review against another edition
4.0
What a cute book about a boy adjusting to his Dad's new neighborhood. The writing is friendly and the characters are great. I like how creative and loving Max is.
a_little_off_center's review against another edition
4.0
I recieved this as a Goodreads give away but all thoughts are my own.
I have been trying to find a variety of books about children whose lives are not exactly the same as my son(he is 8 years old, second grade, mixed race, Muslim, middle class, two parent family). Most books have aspects that fit the bill, but I have not been able to find a lot of young kids books about divorced/one parent/same sex couple families, that do not make that the whole point of the story. So when I saw this I thought it was interesting. The boy lives with his mother during the week and his father on weekends. The fact that they are divorced(or separated- it is alluded to but the "D" word is never really out right said) is not the point of the story though, the main plot just describes a set of three weekends that Max spends with his father.
It was a cute and enjoyable story, I read it and then handed it to my son. He enjoyed it and was able to finish it in just under a week of reading here and there. He likes it in part, I think because each "weekend" has five chapters and feels connected, but also a little like individual stories. It makes it easier to read for the younger set because you don't have to remember every little bit of what happened in the first chapter just in case you might miss something.
I would suggest this as possible reading for a child whose parents are not right in the middle of a divorce, but maybe when the dust has settled a bit. It really just feels like it might help them feel less like they are alone in that sort of situation. Show them that other kids are going through the same thing as they are.
I have been trying to find a variety of books about children whose lives are not exactly the same as my son(he is 8 years old, second grade, mixed race, Muslim, middle class, two parent family). Most books have aspects that fit the bill, but I have not been able to find a lot of young kids books about divorced/one parent/same sex couple families, that do not make that the whole point of the story. So when I saw this I thought it was interesting. The boy lives with his mother during the week and his father on weekends. The fact that they are divorced(or separated- it is alluded to but the "D" word is never really out right said) is not the point of the story though, the main plot just describes a set of three weekends that Max spends with his father.
It was a cute and enjoyable story, I read it and then handed it to my son. He enjoyed it and was able to finish it in just under a week of reading here and there. He likes it in part, I think because each "weekend" has five chapters and feels connected, but also a little like individual stories. It makes it easier to read for the younger set because you don't have to remember every little bit of what happened in the first chapter just in case you might miss something.
I would suggest this as possible reading for a child whose parents are not right in the middle of a divorce, but maybe when the dust has settled a bit. It really just feels like it might help them feel less like they are alone in that sort of situation. Show them that other kids are going through the same thing as they are.
frankisib's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book. Max and Dad are both great characters and this book deals with the issue of divorce and family changes in a way that is perfect for this age reader. I think this will be an important read for a lot of kids.