Robert and the Back-to-School Special Book

Robert’s return to third grade isn’t as auspicious as he had hoped. When his classmates start laughing at him, he decides it’s because of his curly hair, which has grown long over the summer. He convinces his friend Paul to give him a haircut, with disastrous results. Then he begs his brother Charlie to repair the damage, which makes things worse. It doesn’t help when Robert decides to wear a baseball cap to school; that just creates new problems! Ever hopeful that things will somehow turn out right, Robert invites all of his friends to a Halloween party, boasting that his father has some great scary tricks. Sure enough, the other kids have a wonderful time being scared, but since Robert knows all of his father’s tricks — or thinks he does — how can he have the fun of being scared, too? In this fourth book in the best-selling series, Paul Brewer’s witty illustrations and Barbara Seuling’s sensitive text put their less-than-perfect little hero to the test, in the process capturing the uncertainties and unexpected joys of growing up.

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Another funny story about third-grader Robert Dorfman. On the first day of school, a classmate tells him that he looks different and then some of the girls seem to be laughing at him. He thinks it is because his hair is too long, so he asks his friend Paul to cut it for him. That turns out to be a disaster, and Robert compounds his problem by asking his older brother to "fix" it for him. The protagonist's other adventures concern the class's weekly visit to a Senior Home and a scary Halloween party. This book offers a lot of chuckles. The resolutions to Robert's problems are all within a child's realm, and the dynamics of his family ring true. The soft, black-and-white illustrations are upbeat and appear to give every character an excessive amount of hair. They set just the right mood for the story. Children who are just beginning to read chapter books, and Robert's fans, will enjoy this story.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2003 Cahners Business Information.