Danny's Doodles Series, Book 1

July 29, 2013
Adler again displays his versatility with this empathic first book in the Danny’s Doodles illustrated chapter book series. Bighearted fourth-grader Danny Cohen cheerfully plays along when new kid Calvin Waffle makes him the subject of a mysterious experiment and fills Danny’s pockets with jelly beans. Quirky and scientifically minded, Calvin wears two different socks because his right foot is “very serious,” the left “often silly,” and he answers, “Tallahassee is the capital of Florida” in response to a math problem. “I didn’t hear the question,” he explains. “And most teachers like capitals and everyone loves Florida.” Adler also tempers the story’s humor with some poignant moments: Calvin says his father is a traveling spy when he has actually abandoned the family, and the jelly bean experiment is really about making friends. Squiggly cartoon line drawings (mostly character portraits) that appear throughout are purportedly Danny’s work; they look authentically kid­like but add little to the story. The novel delivers laughs as well as a clear message about friendship and acceptance, even when one’s friend is “100% weird.” Ages 7–up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House.

August 1, 2013
Being the new kid is never easy...sometimes, neither is being the new kid's new best friend. Fourth-grader Danny Cohen likes Calvin Waffle, the new kid at school, well enough, but Calvin is a little odd. After just two weeks of friendship, Calvin starts using Danny as the subject of an experiment--and he won't tell Danny what the weeklong study is. It involves statistics, observing Danny from afar and pockets full of jelly beans. Meanwhile, Danny tries to figure out if Calvin's absent father really is a spy or if that's just a story Calvin tells. Danny's also trying to help Calvin make new friends...and both of them are trying to not run afoul of Mrs. Cakel, their tough teacher, who's armed with a huge list of "NO"s. Award-winning nonfiction author and creator of Cam Jansen, Adler starts a new series of gently humorous stories aimed at those just starting chapter books. The first-person narration, realistic characters and occasional line-drawing "doodles" will keep pages turning. Young readers will easily see themselves in Danny and his compatriots. Sequels are planned, so Danny's newly won fans will have something to look forward to. (Fiction. 6-8)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 1-3-Danny and his new neighbor, Calvin, must navigate Mrs. Cakel's strict fourth-grade class. Danny becomes the subject of the new boy's jellybean experiment. After devising a hypothesis and a control, Calvin fills Danny's pockets with the candy to see if it attracts friends. This experiment, his reluctance to socialize with classmates or play baseball, and his stories about his father "the spy," make Calvin an outcast. It is with Danny's help that Calvin learns to make friends. The doodles throughout the book are silly and engaging-providing a nice complement to the colorful characters. A great read for children who are ready for short chapter books, this title could also be used as an introduction to a unit on the scientific method.-Erica Thorsen Payne, Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
Grades 3-5 The author of the Cam Jansen books has created a new series about two unusual friends. After Calvin Waffles moves into the neighborhood, Danny Cohen starts walking to school with him. Oddball Calvin likes to conduct experiments and purposefully annoy their teacher, Mrs. Cake. Danny is an easygoing kid who mostly goes along with Calvin's ideasthen Calvin starts an experiment that involves Danny stuffing his pockets with jelly beans. This experiments lead to a way for Calvin to fit in at school, and when Danny and his friends discover Calvin's secret talent for reading people, Calvin becomes the star of the baseball team without ever touching a bat. Although Danny is the narrator, Calvin is the real focal point here. His difficulties at school and a subplot about his father are treated with sensitivity. This duo is sure to please fans of humorous books like the My Weird School series by Dan Gutman. With plenty of laughs and heart, this is a series to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)