Yes, this one does get a little cliche with bully has a bad home life, so they act out trope, but that happens in real life sometimes. Anyway, this is one of my favorite Big Nate books! The story gets the slightest bit emotional (gasp!), we see a glimpse of Nate's dad as an actual character (which means he had a life and aspirations before he was just Nate's dorky dad), and a cute preteen romance that doesn't hog the entire story. Wow, Nate finally stopped pining over Jenny.

I definitely recommend! ( )

As these are all starting to blend together in their mediocrity, I'll just affix a conversation I had with some students about Big Nate:
One of my students caught me reading this and they were SOOO excited to see a teacher reading the same stuff THEY read. So, I decided to take the opportunity to ask a few students why they enjoy Big Nate. I was met with blank stares. "Well...ummmm..."
Me: If you don't like it, why do you read it?
Her: Because it's fast. We get more points for more books, so we can get quick points.
Her fellow students: *nods and murmurs of agreement*

Ah. That makes so much sense. ( )

I was surprised that I liked this book so much. My son has enjoyed these books for a long time and I had never taken the time to sit down and read one. I thought it would be silly with no point but actually it did have a storyline, plot, and interesting characters. I was pleasantly surprised! I can see why kids like the main character Nate. It is told from his perspective and how he views the world. In this particular book, he is asked to draw a cartoon for the school newspaper. He decided to use this opportunity to make fun of a kid (Randy) that had been picking on him. After this they both get into a fight and get put into peer counseling. Nate then finds out that Randy has to go to counseling because his parents are getting a divorce. He moves every week from house to house. Throughout this book, they are also talking about a great mud bowl game of ultimate Frisbee that they are getting ready to play. Nate decides to invite Randy to join their team. Randy ends up throwing the winning pass to Nate to win the game. I really enjoyed the drawings in this book. I like the fun feel of this graphic novel. It is teaching a lesson to look closer than skin deep to find out more about what is really going on with a person. Nate begins to understand Randy and reaches out to him as a friend. I like the style, honesty, and truthfulness of this story that kids can relate to. I think even a struggling reader would enjoy this book and the multitude of pictures. It turns out that it's a good read for all ages with a message for everyone.