King of the Playground

by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Nola Langner Malone (Illustrator)

Overview

Kevin loves to go to the playground, but not when Sammy is there. And Sammy, who boasts that he is King of the Playground, is there most of the time. If he catches Kevin on the swings or the slide or the monkey bars, Sammy says, he will do awful, terrible things to him. Kevin tells his dad what Sammy says and they talk it over.
And then one day Kevin gets his courage up and goes to the playground even though Sammy says he can't come in. Even though Sammy tells him to go home. Even though Sammy says he will put Kevin in a cage with bears in it.
Will Kevin stay, or will he go home? How will he deal with Sammy?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780689315589
Publisher:	Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	09/30/1991
Edition description:	1st ed
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	8.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Phyllis Reynolds Naylor has written more than 135 books, including the Newbery Award–winning Shiloh and its sequels, the Alice series, Roxie and the Hooligans, and Roxie and the Hooligans at Buzzard’s Roost. She lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland. To hear from Phyllis and find out more about Alice, visit AliceMcKinley.com.

Editorial Reviews

PreS-Gr 2-- Sammy, self-proclaimed ``King of the Playground,'' will not let Kevin play on the swings, slide, or monkey bars. Fortunately, Kevin's father, who believes that words are stronger than fists, subtly suggests ways to best the bully, and a friendship between the two boys begins. There are several admirable touches here: the relationship between son and father (shown making soup, washing the car, digging in the garden--no mother is mentioned); the typical reactions of the boys to one another; and the father's humor and gentleness. Malone's pictures are reminiscent of Lillian Hoban's illustrations for Miriam Cohen's ``First Grade'' stories (Greenwillow), with their subdued colors, rumpled T-shirts, and heads just a little too large for the bodies. Kevin, the creatures of his imagination, and Sammy could belong to the same class. A warm, comforting story with a smart solution to a childhood problem. --Suzanne Wolfe, formerly at Shady Side Academy Junior School, Pittsburgh

School Library Journal