Big Nate blasts off by Lincoln Peirce

Harper Collins, 2016. ISBN 9780008135331
(Age: 8-13) Recommended. Themes: Bullying; Cartooning; Friendship; Growing up; School drama; Humour. This is a book that Diary of a Wimpy Kid devotees will also love. Big Nate is an ordinary kid who deals with a dad who makes dreadful lunches, a fellow classmate that intends harm, a connection with a girl that is hinting at romance and the normal ups and downs of school life with his friends. He shares his life with style - cartooning style! He has a quirky view of the world that he translates into wonderfully entertaining caricatures and cartoon strips. The big event of the book is an Ultimate Frisbee tournament against a rival school that needs to overcome the romance dilemmas, the bullying and detentions in order to overturn a 37 year losing streak!
This is not the first book with Big Nate, so look for other titles in the series, and it can be recommended for a school library collection (even though teachers are the target of many of Nate's jokes!) The book will not stay long on the shelves in the Library. Recommended as a fun book for reluctant readers aged 8-13; but all younger readers will enjoy the humour and the cartoons.
Carolyn Hull