Review by Booklist Review
Grace (whose harried teacher nicknames her Just Grace to distinguish her from the three other Graces in class) deals with the usual trials and tribulations of third grade in this hilarious first chapter book. In addition to the usual indignities (being spit on at your birthday party; missing the talent show because of the stomach flu), Grace must deal with feelings about her intimidating next-door neighbor, Mrs. Luther, whose walls are decorated with scary masks and who seems fond of Grace's nemesis, disgusting Sammy Stringer. Grace loves Mrs. Luther's cat, Crinkles, though, and when it goes missing she determines to find it, even if that means temporarily joining forces with Sammy. The kids come alive in the story, and Harper, the author of several previous books, including the graphic novel Fashion Kitty (2005), enhances the comical goings-on with sparkling cartoon sketches. Equally delightful is the wry voice of energetic Just Grace, who never misses an opportunity to point out the injustices life has dealt her. She's a hero through and through. Give this to fans of Ann Nagda's Meow Means Mischief (2003) or anyone looking for a funny book. --Kay Weisman Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The energetic eight-year-old narrator of Harper's (The Invisible Mistakecase) sprightly story is eager to share the injustices of her life. She did not get to be the magician's helper at her very own birthday party and she had to play a stationary tree rather than a dancing corncob in the Thanksgiving play. Worst of all, since there are three other girls named Grace in her class, her teacher has dubbed her Just Grace when she really just wants to be called Grace. When she vents her name dilemma to the sympathetic French flight attendant who rents the basement apartment in Grace's house, the woman counters with another tale of woe. She tells Grace that their next-door neighbor broke her leg when she fell off a ladder, almost squashing her beloved cat, Crinkles, who is now terrified of her owner and her orange cast. Grace springs into action with a plan meant to cheer up the despondent neighbor: she will send her postcards featuring photos of Crinkles and messages written in the feline's voice. Yet when the postcards arrive at the same time the cat goes missing, they are mistaken for ransom notes and the classmate Grace least likes is accused of catnapping Crinkles. In a predictable but satisfying denouement, the two resourceful youngsters bury their differences, sort out the misunderstanding and manage to find the missing pet. Grace's spirited annotated drawings and her inimitable narrative's arrangement into brief vignettes makes this a good choice for kids just beginning to tackle chapter books. Ages 6-10. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Just Grace starts with a list of missed opportunities and finishes with the rich possibility of a new friend. In between, third-grader Grace Stewart sends postcards to her next-door neighbor (purporting to be from Crinkles, the neighbor's own cat), draws comics of Not-So-Super ("but still good") superheroes, plays detective with her best friend when Crinkles goes missing, tries to avoid the odious Sammy Stringer, and establishes herself as a true original in a class with not one, but four, Graces. The narrative voice is strong throughout and the story reads like one-part diary, one-part testimonial. The text is interspersed with the child's illustrations and postcards, which nicely divide the story into episodes, as opposed to chapters. A strong cast of supporting characters shares her world. Since Grace claims to have a teeny-tiny superpower ("I can always tell when someone is unhappy, even if that person is pretending to be happy and is a really good actor"), her relationships with these people, and her ability to read them correctly, take on greater significance as the story advances. Grace is a funny, mischievous protagonist who should easily find a place in the pantheon of precocious third graders. Fans of Amber Brown, Clementine, and Judy Moody will love her.-Kara Schaff Dean, Needham Public Library, MA (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
Making lists, drawing a comic strip about not-so-super heroes, and doing good deeds are some of this opinionated third-grade narrator's main activities. The ""good deeds"" backfire when she secretly tries to cheer up a neighbor and gets accused of kidnapping her cat instead. Funny cartoon illustrations accompany this spirited look at the pros (and occasional cons) of empathy. (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.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A plan to cheer up her neighbor with postcards from her cat, Crinkles, lands third-grader Grace Stewart in trouble when the cat disappears. She has to admit she sent the cards and work with her least favorite person, Sammy Stringer, to find the missing pet. Just Grace--so named because she is the fourth Grace in her classroom--is an engaging and empathetic little girl who enjoys drawing, helping others and making lists. This gently humorous first-person story includes a number of these lists, such as seven things she knows and doesn't know about Ms. Luther (scary older-kids teacher and also the lady next door) and four more things she learned about her from Augustine DuPre (the French flight attendant who lives in the basement). Short chapters are illustrated with Grace's own work: occasional line drawings, the cat photocards and some not-so-superhero comics. An appealing chapter book with just a hint of mystery for middle-grade girls; a sequel is already in the works. (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
