Second Grade Holdout

In First Grade Dropout (rev. 7/15), the young narrator made a harrowing social blunder at school ("I. Called. My. Teacher. MOMMY!!!"). Here, he weathers another psychological storm: he and his best buddy, Tyler, have been assigned to different second-grade classrooms. What's more, second grade doesn't sound all that promising. The narrator makes a decision: he will stay in first grade. This way, he will not only enjoy perks ("I'll definitely be the one who's lost the most teeth") but also avoid Mr. Glazer, who, Tyler's older sisters tell him, is a really hard teacher ("You have to learn the presidents by heart. Forward AND backward"). Also hard? Realizing when older kids are pulling your leg, as the narrator and Tyler come to understand. This sequel doesn't pack quite the comedic wallop of its predecessor, but it borrows its calling card: Vernick introduces a problem familiar to a certain personality type ("I wish everything could just stay the way it was") and allows readers to recognize, and maybe even laugh at, themselves. Once again, Cordell's relaxed pen-and-ink and watercolor drawings honor the narrator's active imagination. One standout illustration is a spread showing past U.S. presidents parading with signs featuring brain-straining spelling words: "Platypus!" "Rendezvous!" "Discombobulated!" nell beram