Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Offbeat fun ideal for early chapter book readers.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Full of offbeat, creative ideas, 9-year-old Moxy Maxwell has put off her summer reading assignment until the very last minute. Even on the final afternoon before school starts up again, she finds a million things to keep her from the task at hand. One thing leads to another and the situation gets way out of hand before Moxy finally makes friends with Stuart Little ... and amazes even herself.
Is It Any Good?
When her parents named her Moxy, they may not have known what they were asking for; this is one kid who is definitely living up to her name. She is dramatic, energetic, and impulsive. However, she also exaggerates, and procrastinates, which can lead her into trouble. It's not so much that Moxy doesn't love Stuart Little, it's just that she doesn't find enough "in-between time" to get the book read. Even when her mother threatens her with consequences, she can't find the discipline to sit down and get started. But who can really blame her? Her entire household seems rather free, undisciplined ... and creative.
Though the story itself is a little far-fetched, the premise is believable enough, and the format is entertaining. Written in short one- or two-page chapters that are headed in a manner reminiscent of Winnie-the-Pooh stories, events are illustrated with photographs supposedly taken by Moxy's twin brother Mark. Spotted here and there with narrator comments that may be hard for a 7-year-old to appreciate, the story, with all its silly shenanigans, is easy to read, and especially fun for the reader just starting out with chapter books.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Moxy's procrastinating behavior. She says she loves to read, yet she puts off reading Stuart Little until the very last minute. Why? Have you ever had a hard time getting started on something that you might have enjoyed if you hadn't been told to do it? Or are you more like Mark who gets his reading done at the very beginning of summer vacation? What kinds of things help you get started when you want to put something off? How would you have handled the situation if you were Moxy, or her mother?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Valorie Fisher
- Genre : Contemporary Fiction
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Schwartz & Wade
- Publication date : May 8, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 7 - 11
- Number of pages : 104
- Last updated : March 4, 2020
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate