Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything

April 18, 2011
Fifth-grader Ronald "Cheesie" Mack's problems (like how to outsmart his evil older sister June, aka "Goon") may be ordinary, but in the hands of first-time author Cotler they're plenty entertaining. Cheesie's asides frequently break the fourth fall ("I mean, here you are reading this book, and you want to know what the bad news was, but there's this long sentence that you're reading right now that doesn't actually take all that long to read..."), and his playful use of language should go a long way to making readers feel like they've known Cheesie and his goofball friend, Georgie, for years. The main tension in the story arises from the discovery of an old, valuable penny that the boys find in Georgie's basement. But though the mystery of the coin is fun, the best reading comes with Cotler's narrative meandering, his many entertaining bit characters, and the intermittent trouble that Cheesie and Georgie must avoid. Cotler blatantly sets readers up for Cheesie's next adventure; after this installment, they'll be ready for it. Art not seen by PW. Ages 8â12.

February 15, 2011

Ronald "Cheesie" Mack and his best friend, Georgie, are about to graduate fifth grade and embark on the best summer ever, which will include, but not be limited to, making points in a private battle against Cheesie's evil older sister June, hanging out in their treehouse and, most importantly, summer camp in Maine. Summer's only a day away, and things already seem to be off to a great start when Georgie finds an old necklace and a 1909 penny stashed in their basement. Then bad news hits big: Georgie's dad's been laid off, and they can't afford camp. Cheesie decides to be a best friend and stay home too, so summer's looking lame-ish. First, they have to get through the boring graduation ceremony; Georgie (as usual) has a plan to spice it up. When a possibility arises to get the money for camp, the boys have to decide what course of action is right. Readers will be happy to learn that Cotler's debut is the first in a new series. Cheesie chattily narrates his own story; his voice rings true, and the other characters are a gently quirky, appealing lot. His periodic invitations to read posts on or add stories to the CheesieMack.com website will hook denizens of the digital generation, but doing so isn't vital to enjoying the ride. No art was seen, but the final book will have many fun illustrations (according to Cheesie) from Time Warp Trio illustrator McCauley. (Fiction. 8-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 1, 2011

Gr 3-6-Ronald Mack-better known as "Cheesie"-is an almost-11-year-old with a knack for silliness and trouble. Sneaking white mice into school, maintaining a complex point-keeping system to track sibling rivalry, inventing new words, and making conjectures about the town's spooky old house are all in a day's work. Cheesie's best friend, Georgie, is with him every step of the way. When the boys find a mysterious envelope, they're in for the adventure of a lifetime, resulting in several big surprises and a solution to their biggest problem. Ever the good-natured narrator, Cheesie manages to include many facts along with the high jinks; readers will pick up tidbits about coin collecting, vocabulary, pill bugs, and more. While a few too many Mayberry-esque details and a definite overload of pleas to visit Cheesie's website may annoy some kids, most will enjoy this rollicking read.-Amanda Moss Struckmeyer, Middleton Public Library, WI

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011
Grades 4-6 Ronald Mack, nicknamed Cheesie, as in macaroni and cheese, shares the story of his fifth-grade graduation time in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and its attendant crazy best-friend exploits, spooky old neighbors, mystery solving, summer-camp concerns, lesson learning, and well-meaning-family drama. Cheesie addresses the reader directly in this fairly typical tale, illustrated with occasional spot art, and is often conspiratorial, as when he references a bad word that the people who print these books told me I definitely could not write. He constantly makes lists, uses advanced vocabulary words credited to adults, and refers readers to his real-life website (www.cheesiemack.com) for opportunities to extend the experience in his world. The authors voice becomes a little overbearing, but the very conceit that this fictional character is communicating with a little help from Steve Cotler offers an appealing entryway to the target audience. Neither a genius nor a literary trailblazer, Cheesie and his book are basic, good old-fashioned fun.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)