I was pleased to see Roosevelt is back and narrating his second story. 2020’s ROOSEVELT BANKS—GOOD KID IN TRAINING brought a smile to my face and lifted me out of the pandemic doldrums. This time around Roosevelt is in for a big change and one he’s not going to let happen. A baby sister will soon be born and that upcoming event has his parents informing him his new bedroom will be in the attic.

No way is this good. The summer before fifth grade was supposed to be The Summer of Dad but now his father is too busy turning the attic into Roosevelt’s final resting place. Roosevelt’s imagination has gotten the worst of him. For sure there are ghosts and other creepy crawly things up there, but with the help of his friends they plan to chase away the bad ghouls.

Roosevelt Banks will win you over with every kid like situation he encounters. His humorous and spot-on narration shines through with a perfect kid like tone—like this sample from chapter one:

Eddie Spaghetti snickered behind me. His name’s not really Spaghetti, but once in second grade he laughed so hard at lunch that a spaghetti noodle shot out of his nose. It was the most awesome thing ever.

Another nice feature is the large print making the 170 pages easy to read and easy on the eyes. Kids, especially boys who dread reading, will enjoy this tale. It would also make a great first middle grade novel for those transitioning from chapter books.

Roosevelt Banks: I hope to read more about your life in fifth grade. Go get ’em!

You can find your own copy at resellers everywhere including Barnes & Noble.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Laurie Calkhoven is the author of many books, including George Washington: An American Life and Harriet Tubman: Leading the Way to Freedom. She lives in New York City. Visit her at LaurieCalkhoven.com.

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Blogging about middle grade books or authors next week? Join the celebration.

All you have to do is blog about a middle grade book on a Monday (contests, author interviews, or anything middle grade related also count). Email me the title of the book or feature and a link to your blog at gpcolo[at]gmail[dot]com

Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book or author you’re featuring) You MUST email me your link by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

Thanks for spreading the middle grade love and for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and carried on here at ALWAYS in the MIDDLE! (CLICK HERE FOR PAST MMGM POSTS)

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.