Daisy's Defining Day

February 15, 2013
What's a girl to do when her young next-door neighbor, Grant, who has just discovered the joy of rhyming, starts calling her "Lazy Daisy" every time he sees her, even at school? For Daisy, who absolutely adores words, the perfect solution to her problem with pesky Grant is to create a new and much better name for herself--something to replace "Lazy Daisy." Daisy has been learning about alliteration in school, so her new name ought to feature a word that starts with the letter D, and if one word is wonderful, then a whole series of words must be even better. After a lot of experimentation, which of course exposes readers new to chapter books to a little challenging vocabulary, Daisy finally settles on Dynamite Dramatic Determined Dazzling Daisy. Unfortunately, that name is too long for many people to remember, and it proves especially discouraging for her best friend. Eventually, Daisy finds a better way to make peace with Grant. As in Daisy's first outing, not much happens, but the pages look inviting, with minimal, generously leaded print and ample, charming black-and-white illustrations. Daisy is affable enough to be an appealing protagonist as she navigates some of the minor perils of grade school. Transitioning readers, particularly girls, will enjoy seeing Daisy navigate the familiar shoals of elementary school in this better-than-average early chapter book. (Fiction. 5-8)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 2-4-Daisy loves singing loudly, making cookies, and, most of all, learning words. She does not love the new nickname bestowed upon her by her friend's younger brother, because "Lazy Daisy" belies her determined, life-loving attitude. She decides to invent a new nickname for herself and settles on "Dynamite Dramatic Determined Dazzling Daisy." While she loves her snazzy new moniker, no one else can remember it. Rather than having to spew out that long string of adjectives, her friends start talking to her less, which means that Daisy misses out on some things. To top it off, her friend's younger brother still calls her "Lazy Daisy." In the end, she uses a bit of reverse psychology on him to banish the unwanted nickname, and their interaction spurs Daisy to think of a new nickname that is just right. Short chapters, a large font, generous line spacing, and ample illustrations make this book a good choice for readers who are just starting to tackle chapter books. Cheerful line drawings that depict rosy-cheeked characters and Daisy's word lists are nice touches. Readers may wonder why Daisy doesn't just ask the boy not to call her "Lazy Daisy," but her resulting journey of self-discovery is something children will relate to. Short and sweet, yet somewhat forgettable.-Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY

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