Review by Booklist Review
Gr. 1-3. This addition to the A Is for Amber series, by the late Danziger, finds Amber and best friend Justin preparing for Halloween. The children are decorating pumpkins (along with half the other kids in class, Justin has modeled his on Captain Underpants); Amber worries about schoolwork and her parents' arguments; and Justin has a bad joke for every occasion, including the knock-knock joke used in the title. Danziger's middle-grade plots and characters have made a smooth transition to an easy-to-read format: Amber remains as feisty and opinionated as ever (I'm glad that Mom didn't buy Fun Size candy. What is fun about a little piece of candy? Big bars are best. ), voicing problems and facing situations that real kids will identify with. This will be popular among emerging readers, whether they are Amber fans or series newcomers. --Kay Weisman Copyright 2005 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A trio of beginning readers offers treats to newly independent readers. Paula Danziger's fearless heroine is back in Orange You Glad It's Halloween, Amber Brown?, illus. by Tony Ross. Amber is excited as the holiday approaches, but will her parents arguing ruin it? Will she manage to keep her costume secret from best friend, Justin, for the whole day? The fun starts in Ms. Light's class with a pumpkin everything theme, and Amber's costume gets the last laugh. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Amber Brown is really excited that it is Halloween, except that her parents aren't getting along in this easy-to-read book (Putnam, 2005) by Paula Danziger. Amber and her best friend, Justin, bring dressed-up pumpkins to school and spend the day doing fun Halloween things like pumpkin math and telling Halloween jokes. After school is even more fun because Amber goes "ghosting" with her mom and secretly delivers Halloween treats to some of the neighbors. Then it is time to trick-or-treat, and Amber gets to show everyone her special Halloween costume. Best of all, her parents seem to be getting along better. Young readers will enjoy this simple book that mixes the joys of Halloween with realistic family tensions. Dana Lubotsky narrates all the voices with youthful enthusiasm. Sound effects and occasional background music add to the overall enjoyment of the story.-Teresa Wittmann, Westgate Elementary School, Edmonds, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Amber and Justin celebrate Halloween by decorating pumpkins as their favorite book characters, enjoying a classroom party, and dressing in costume. This book's easy format, with its short sentences, white space, and breezy cartoons, matches the comfortable, child-centered plot. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
