Richard Clark (13)Critiques

Oh man, who doesn't love a book about kids skateboarding?! I thought skateboarding was the COOLEST thing as a kid, so this book would have been right up my alley!

Richard Clark brings a fun narrative yet again to the children's genre. His writing is fun, electric and full of comedy! The best part about these books is that it feels like it's written by a kid. Richard has an excellent talent for making the narrator sound sweet and as smart as any kid! I feel like I'm being whisked back to my childhood reading these books, since he can really get you into the mind of these characters.

Some of the references, like grey matter, might go over the heads of some kids but I thought it was great! Kids having to look up new words isn't a bad thing by any degree!

My biggest con for this book was that it was way too short! It's a fun read, but it could have been longer and been just as awesome! If it was going to remain this short, I think some pictures would really bump it up to the next level. Either way, it's short and sweet. It'll make a great, quick read for kids interested in action packed stories with a pinch of mystery!

Four out of five stars!

Richard Clark has another winner on his hands with Pandora's new book!

The cover itself was really cool - it gave me "Inside Out" (by Pixar) vibes. It's unique and not following the typical trend with recent covers (which I love, by the way! Uniqueness for the win!).

Pandora's sense of curiosity reminds me of myself when I was younger (and reminds me of many kids I know too!). Curiosity is a common trait among kids, which is sometimes lacking from children's novels and middle grade books. When you mix in the wide range of hysterical characters (that meet every middle grade trope in the book), well, you've got one awesome story!

Pandora really wants to know what's in a sandwich - and she seems like quite the science wiz! I loved that she was her own character with epic quirks. I'm tired of boring characters without personalities. Thank you Richard Clark! I also really loved the reference to Pandora (and the fact that she has a box she shouldn't open). That reference might go over the heads of most kids, but for adults reading it, it's absolutely hilarious! And really appreciated! It's G rated adult humor!

I'd say this book is a sweet fantasy novel (if you are looking for a specific genre), to a small degree. What else would you call an almost magical lunch box?

There's also some pictures floating about this book, which are really cute and funny! They were awesome, and helped show me some of the characters. The pictures are of the vices within Pandora's box.

Overall, the story is absolutely silly, but is the perfect middle grade story. It's not very long, so it's perfect for a bedtime read or for some zany fun in the middle of the day.

Four out of five stars!

What happens when a kid wants to become a billionaire? Well, they create a club, of course! Marty Gundy wants to be REALLY rich, so he made a club called FIUB (but it turned into FLUB) so all of the future internet ultra-billionaires could hang out! Marty is a tech whiz, which is why he will eventually be super duper rich.

I love this book because as a kid I always wanted to create a really cool school club or be apart of one. It attaches to those feelings that most kids have. Richard Clark has done this in every book I've read by him so far - he knows how to write in the mind of a child and really connect and identify with the reader.

Now, this story is SHORT. It's sweet and to the point, which makes it an excellent bedtime read for your youngings! It's also enjoyable for adults, but it really meets the children's novel/middle grade inbetween transition age where you want to read more advanced books but don't want to commit to a long story. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I liked Richard's other books, but I did think it was fun and a definite must read for anyone looking for a story to read their child! I highly recommend this book!

Overall, I thought this story was fun! It's cute, funny and really smart! I'd love for more children's books to be full of this level of intelligence!

Three out of five stars.

This crazy adventure is another epic story by Richard Clark!

Half of this story is the actual adventure, while the other half is a journal. Having this dual point of view is a change from Richard's typical story telling, but I found it worked perfectly within the story. Following Rudy and the wild shenanigans he goes on fit really well bouncing back and forth. All three of the boys in this story are hilarious and fun to follow along this epic journey. It almost felt like a cartoon I'd watch on the weekends when I was off from school as a kid! This is super high quality writing!

The action in this story continues at an excellent pace that keeps the audience engaged. I feel that this book is perfect for the middle grade audience! Although, I might not use this as a bedtime story. It's so action packed that it seems like the perfect, middle of the day read to get everybody wanting to run and jump around! There's also some truly incredible suspense (for a middle grade novel!) that really enhanced the story overall. I didn't expect that from Richard Clark!

Some of the chapters are very short, yet they felt just long enough. The book is a light, soft read despite the exciting action among the pages. I would definitely recommend picking up this book if you're looking for an Indiana Jones type read for your children! The comedy, action and adventure will really catch your young readers!

Four out of five stars!

HughTube is a fantastic read about a 14 year old child starting a blog (or personal reality television show). This funny yet simple story was a great read that would be well suited for the middle grade audience. It's silly, modern and full of awesome surprises! Richard Clark continues to do a fantastic job writing in the mind of a child and connecting with his readers!

Hugh follows his schoolmates around while filming his blog, leading to hilarious shenanigans fit for any elementary school! Our lead is an awkward eighth grader who is trying to learn how to go about his life (and how to adapt to school). When everyone catches on and begins acting for the camera, things really get strange! Can you imagine a principal doing a crazy dance for the camera?!

This book is definitely a comedy book for the middle grade readers. You could read this book for fun, or for a nice switch up for your bedtime reading (for your younger kids). It's definitely G rated and full of innocent, yet goofy situations.

I think this is a great read that is unique yet following the trends. It's definitely a must read that I'd recommend for those kids who don't want to read the same old, same old fairy tale!

Four out of five stars for this fun book!

Richard Clark has made yet another super cute novel!

This time around Jonas wants a dog, and by luck and chance he gets one! I thought the idea behind this story was super unique and I had never thought much about renting a dog before. It was a silly topic that I would have loved to read as a kid.

The book was an easy enough read, and would definitely be a perfect fit for any middle grade reader (or a story to read to younger kids). Who doesn't want to rent a dog who's super famous? I also think the adventures and shenanigans that Jonas goes on is epic and the perfect plot for this book!

The pacing of this book was awesome and it felt like the perfect length. I couldn't see any real cons other than I want more from this author and soon! His characters are believable and lovable, and his stories are truly unique. I don't know how Richard gets inside the head of a kid, but he manages to make it extremely realistic. It almost feels like a kid is behind this book (with the expertise of a great writer and awesome editor). Jonas is perfectly flawed (like any kid) and full of creativity and fun!

Even the ending was super cute and sweet! I kind of wish there were more adventures for Jonas, Chloe and Rascal on the way!

Five out of five stars! What a treasure!

This book is serious fun! It's silly, zaney and full of hilarity!

The pictures in the book are incredibly amusing, and go along perfectly with the story! The story is a little out of this world (a kid designing a microchip that goes on your tooth and make you a secret agent?!) but that's why it's so good! This is the type of creativity and imagination I needed in my childhood books! I've been waiting for this kind of awesome for years!

I'd say this book is a mix of secret agents, superheroes and comedy! Our lead is kind of the Q or Alfred to his best friend who's the Batman or James Bond (less broody, of course). There's also the cute love interest, the mean bully, and other school tropes you'd expect. It's not as intense as those adaptions of spies (obviously), but it felt like the kid friendly version - with lots more silly commentary and goofy plot lines.

This book could easily be read to your child (maybe 6 years and up? Do 3 year olds know what secret agents are?...) or used as a middle grade book. It doesn't seem to have some moral theme behind it, it's most just for fun!

I could easily see this being the next kid's television show with it's awesome plot. It almost felt like the book adaption of a movie.

The worst part of this book was the cliffhanger! Now I have to get the rest of the books to know how it ended!!

Overall, this book is awesome! I'd definitely recommend this book as a fun read! It'll have you giggling at every page!

Four out of five stars!

I found this book on Bookbub!

It's a cute book but more geared for the preteen crowd. The copy I have is partly illustrated, with a promise that if enough copies are sold the remainder of the book will be fully illustrated.

As an adult, I had to wonder how the chip stayed on Chip's tooth without being noticed or dislodged. The fact that only one thing could be done at a time seems to be a big design flaw--which is realized by the inventor, but trying to correct it seems to be put on the back burner.