Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon

by Paula Danziger Narrated by Alicia Witt

Overview

Amber Brown and Justin Daniels are best friends. They sit next to each other in school, help each other with fractions and spelling, and always stick up for one another. But when Justin finds out that he is moving away, everything begins to change.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Third-grade Amber confronts difficult emotions when her best friend moves away; in a starred review, PW said, ``Once again, Danziger demonstrates her ability to connect with her audience.'' Ages 7-10. (July)

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-She may not be a crayon, but Amber Brown is certainly blue over the fact that her best friend, Justin Daniels, is moving away. What's making it even harder is that he won't talk to her about how he feels and she can only assume he's not as broken up about it as she is. Then, while cleaning his room for the move, Justin throws away the chewing-gum ball they've been building for a year and a half. It's the last straw and the pair are no longer speaking at all. Finally, Amber's mother helps her understand that Justin's reticence is his way of protecting himself against his sadness and anxiety over leaving, and Amber makes the move that reconciles the two pals. There's lots of fun along with the pathos here; third graders, true to form, call each other outrageous names and gross each other out good-naturedly, and their teacher, Mr. Cohen, is a paragon of creativity and understanding. Ross's black-and-white sketches throughout add humor and keep the pages turning swiftly. Danzinger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade life, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine.-Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

From the Publisher

"Danziger reaches out to a younger audience in this funny, touching slice of third-grade live, told in the voice of a feisty, lovable heroine." —School Library Journal, starred review

“Danziger [has] a pitch-perfect view of a child’s emotions.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“This heroine’s perky, first-person narrative allows readers to make her acquaintance immediately—and effortlessly.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Without a trace of condescension, Danziger gets the child's funny and vulnerable voice. The third-grader's friendship is beautifully drawn, especially the rituals about food, their shared enjoyment of the messy and the gross." —Booklist

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171933531
Publisher:	Penguin Random House
Publication date:	05/13/2008
Series:	Amber Brown Series , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

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