The Doodles of Sam Dibble

Gr 2–4—Sam Dribble loves to doodle. He doodles instead of completing his math sheet; he doodles instead of researching George Washington. He even doodles during library class. The other thing that Sam does is make promises that he may-or may not-be able to keep, like insisting to his entire class that pro wrestler Demolition Dan is coming to his birthday party. Tomorrow. Except Sam hasn't exactly invited Demo Dan just yet. And, to make matters worse, his rival Max Baxter will be at his party, because Max's dad is dating Sam's mom. What's a third grader with an overactive imagination and pen to do? This slight story, dominated by wide margins and a plethora of doodles, aims to be a younger version of Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series (Abrams). And in some instances-the school setting, the multiple friends, the family drama-it succeeds. The pacing of the story and the character development, however, seem rushed in spots. The chapters are so brief that often the transition from one to the next seems abrupt. Reluctant readers will likely be most attracted to the fast pace and easy-to-breeze-through text. Consider purchasing in libraries that need "what do I read next" titles for children interested in Lincoln Peirce's "Big Nate" (Andrews McMeel), Megan McDonald's "Stink" (Candlewick), and Dav Pilkey's "Captain Underpants" (Scholastic).—Lisa Kropp, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY