I Am So Over Being a Loser

Gr 2–4—When Barry Loser's mom wins a contest and becomes the mascot for Feeko's Supermarkets, he is embarrassed in the extreme. Seeing his mother on posters all around town—depicted with her bum wiggling, eye winking, or tongue reaching out to grab a chocolate—makes him irritable, especially when his classmates tease him about it. Later, when his mistakes keep him from going on the school trip to the Ski Dome, he reaches out to Nancy Verkenwerken for help, which may be the best or worst mistake of his life, especially when his new pet, Snailypoo, goes missing. This humorous contemporary story is full of gross jokes and references to the characters' enormous noses. The short paragraphs and numerous illustrations make this appealing to reluctant readers. While there isn't a lot of depth to the story, Barry's feelings and actions, while exaggerated, are amusing.—Heidi Grange, Summit Elementary School, Smithfield, UT