The Graham Cracker Plot

nancydrew963 - The title is intriguing, the characters are witty, but the plot is so-so, and was saved by the excellent writing. "The Graham Cracker Plot" interested me when I first saw the cover. As soon as I dove into it, I didn't regret much. I finished it quickly but the ending was not well-planned. The narrator is a twelve-year-old girl nicknamed "Daisy" Bauer whose father, "The Chemist," was wrongly thrown into jail. She hates how unfair his situation is because all he did was have a chemistry experiment go wrong and their house caught on fire. Being a rash firebrand, she teams up with her sometimes-best friend "Graham Cracker" to break him out of jail. The plot was overall okay and the smart and funny writing was what sweetened it. I loved how Daisy was snarky sometimes, but I didn't like how much of the book was cliché, so I knew almost exactly what to expect. I recommend this book for middle-school kids that want a lighthearted book that'll be easy to get into and get out of. There is some crude language said and the mention of drugs is near the end. The words are big on each page and it'll be a short read. I would say this book is good, but not a memorable book that I'll dwell on in the future.

July 15, 2014
Daisy's life is messy, out of control, and filled with madly improbable characters and crazy escapades.It is immediately obvious that she has already been involved in something serious, even disastrous. She has been directed to write an account of her actions in a series of letters to Judge Henry, in which she explains the bizarre events, makes excuses and blames others for the outcome. The people involved in her life are all sublimely dysfunctional. Her mom is an alcoholic whose current boyfriend may actually be the one who provides the stability they so desperately need. Daisy's paternal grandmother is somewhat grounded but is overwhelmed by the schism in the family. Daisy's friend Graham is a wildly eccentric outsider with an ineffectual mother. And her brain-injured adult cousin, Ashley, is unpredictable and reliant on social services. The catalyst for the story is Daisy's father, the Chemist-later the ex-chemist. The title plot involves a totally naive and unworkable plan to get him out of prison. As the letters unfold, Tougas leads Daisy on a journey of self-awareness that gradually allows her to come to a more compassionate view of the people in her life. Her final letter to the judge and his reassuring reply offer hope for the future.Readers will find themselves rooting for Daisy and Graham and for it all to turn out all right. (Fiction. 9-12)

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August 1, 2014

Gr 4-7-Twelve-year-old Daisy Bauer is in trouble-big trouble, but just how she and her friend Graham got in such a mess unfolds through Daisy's telling of the events interspersed with her letters to Judge Henry. The trouble begins when Daisy's mom leaves her with a neighbor, Graham's mother Keri, so she and her boyfriend can go on vacation. Keri, however, is wrapped up in her own problems, so Daisy and Graham are left on their own in a rundown trailer park. Yearning to leave that life behind, the kids decide to break Daisy's dad out of prison and escape to a new life in Canada. They need a little help, so they enlist a friend, Ashley, who can drive. Unfortunately, since Ashley's accident, she isn't quite right. Their plan goes awry almost from the beginning and they frantically regroup at every turn. In the end, Daisy learns the truth about her dad, and she and Graham have to make amends for all the trouble they caused. This book tries to take some serious situations-including a dad in prison, neglectful moms, and poverty-and make them funny as the kids try to solve their own problems and start anew. While there are some humorous moments as this rag-tag bunch tries to pull off a prison break, they are overshadowed by the not-so-humorous aspects of their lives, which will seem quite real to some readers.-Laura Fields Eason, Henry F. Moss Middle School, Bowling Green, KY

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