Super Burp! #1 (George Brown, Class Clown)

Gr 2—4—George Brown moves to a new town and leaves his olds friends behind. Having had a reputation as the class clown and funny man, he is determined to mend his ways and get the kids in his new class to like him without jokes. Then his parents take him out for ice cream and he suddenly lets out the biggest burp ever. It takes over his body and he starts dancing on the table. When the burp pops, he doesn't know what came over him and why he isn't able to control himself. The burp haunts him at home and at school, causing him to do such things as skateboard in the hallways. He tries to control it and, in the meantime, make some friends by just being himself. The kids are a typical cast of characters with the popular boy giving George a hard time and the nice nerdy kid befriending him. The story line makes for a fun read, but it's not outstanding or innovative. Line drawings add humor and break up the short chapters. Since the book ends with George questioning whether he can control his burps in the future, more titles in the series are sure to follow.—Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA