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librarywonder's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really cute book that deals with some big themes, like learning differences and moving. I loved the format. It's made to look like it's an actual kid's journal - handwritten and filled with doodles. Kids who liked The Popularity Papers or Middle School is Worse Than Meatloaf will love this, too.
jenpurlteach's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
corncobwebs's review against another edition
Maureen "Dodo" Bussey got kicked out of school (selling her Ritalin pills to the other students for $.25 a pop was NOT a good idea), so her family is picking up and moving to San Francisco. Dodo's mom gives her a blank book to draw in to keep her busy on the trip, and once Dodo starts drawing, she can't stop. She chronicles everything in her life with words and doodles, and is determined to re-create herself at her new school as "Doodlebug." Drawing isn't just a part of her new image, though - it also helps to suppress the behaviors that the Ritalin was supposed to (but didn't) control. Even though Dodo is making friends at her new school, she's afraid that her teachers won't understand her need to draw and she'll be back at square one. In the end, everything is "okay for now" - the whole family, Dodo included - find ways to make their lives in San Francisco work. A believable ending to a well-told story.
This book made me want to start doodling about my own life, and I think it will have the same effect on kids. In my opinion, any book that makes kids want to pick up a pen and paper and create is a winner! This is also a good one to recommend to girls who like the Wimpy Kid books, although it doesn't pack the same witty, laugh-out-loud punch.
This book made me want to start doodling about my own life, and I think it will have the same effect on kids. In my opinion, any book that makes kids want to pick up a pen and paper and create is a winner! This is also a good one to recommend to girls who like the Wimpy Kid books, although it doesn't pack the same witty, laugh-out-loud punch.
nicole_p's review against another edition
4.0
Sweet, smart, and touching. A really great read and so fun to look at! :D
megschiebel's review against another edition
2.0
The story itself is interesting enough but it's so hard to follow!
pussreboots's review against another edition
5.0
Dodo and Momo are moving to San Francisco with their family. For the ride from Los Angeles, they are each given a blank sketch book. Dodo decides to turn her's into a diary. Doodlebug by Karen Romano Young is Dodo's diary.
What caught my attention first was the plot, namely the move they were making. Having gone through that move myself, though not with children and not as a child, I was hooked. The diary part also got my attention. When I was in high school I briefly kept a doodle diary.
Some of the pages are very crowded with Dodo's artwork. It takes a couple pages to get used to her crowded, conversational style. Younger readers might need extra time to work through all the words crammed onto a page. Older readers though should find the story engaging enough to not mind the busy pages.
It was fun to see San Francisco as rendered in ball point pen doodles. Fans of Smile will recognize many of the same locales. I think the characters even go to the same school at one point.
Best of all though, was its appeal to my children. My son actually borrowed the book from me for about a week to read it himself. My daughter wanted me to read it to her.
What caught my attention first was the plot, namely the move they were making. Having gone through that move myself, though not with children and not as a child, I was hooked. The diary part also got my attention. When I was in high school I briefly kept a doodle diary.
Some of the pages are very crowded with Dodo's artwork. It takes a couple pages to get used to her crowded, conversational style. Younger readers might need extra time to work through all the words crammed onto a page. Older readers though should find the story engaging enough to not mind the busy pages.
It was fun to see San Francisco as rendered in ball point pen doodles. Fans of Smile will recognize many of the same locales. I think the characters even go to the same school at one point.
Best of all though, was its appeal to my children. My son actually borrowed the book from me for about a week to read it himself. My daughter wanted me to read it to her.
tashrow's review
4.0
Dodo has been expelled from her last school because she tried to sell her Ritalin to other students in her class. Now her family is moving from LA to San Francisco. Her parents are hoping for a fresh start for their careers and for Dodo. Her younger sister Momo is angry about the move, and Dodo is unsure that it will make any difference at all. On the trip, Dodo discovers that she loves to draw, that doodling makes her calmer and better able to deal with the drive and the move. Dodo starts a new school, changing her nickname to Doodlebug. Her doodling is accepted in some classes and forbidden in others. Momo is desperate to join the school’s choir, so she tries several stunts, like singing into the PA system of the school. Both girls may have pushed it a bit too far in their new school. Will Dodo be expelled again?
A fabulous combination of journal, graphic novel and story, this book allows readers to really understand what it is to be a visual learner and to have ADD. Dodo is a great character, fully developed and complex. Just as wonderfully drawn are her family members, even the new cat, Sven. They are all complicated and interesting, portraying a real, multicultural family dealing with change and opportunity.
Young’s creativity is fully on display here with pages filled with a variety of lettering, lots of drawings and plenty of forward momentum. Several touches will resonate with young artists who will find the names of the pens used to make the black and white illustrations. They will get plenty of inspiration to create their own journals, capture their own lives and adventures.
Highly recommended, this book will be enjoyed by readers who enjoyed the Joey Pigza series, Amelia’s Notebook, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Appropriate for ages 9-13.
A fabulous combination of journal, graphic novel and story, this book allows readers to really understand what it is to be a visual learner and to have ADD. Dodo is a great character, fully developed and complex. Just as wonderfully drawn are her family members, even the new cat, Sven. They are all complicated and interesting, portraying a real, multicultural family dealing with change and opportunity.
Young’s creativity is fully on display here with pages filled with a variety of lettering, lots of drawings and plenty of forward momentum. Several touches will resonate with young artists who will find the names of the pens used to make the black and white illustrations. They will get plenty of inspiration to create their own journals, capture their own lives and adventures.
Highly recommended, this book will be enjoyed by readers who enjoyed the Joey Pigza series, Amelia’s Notebook, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Appropriate for ages 9-13.
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