Not Really Buddies

by Jan Carr, Kris Mukai (Illustrator)

Overview

A laugh-out-loud new illustrated chapter book series celebrating the roller coaster highs and lows of life in a second grade classroom.

Buddy has a good feeling about second grade. He knows where to go, his best friend is in his class, and he’s ready for a great year. And then Bea shows up—new, tardy, and showing off brand new stitches. Buddy was not expecting Bea.

Bea's fast talking and upside-down thinking leave Buddy feeling buzzy—and with his hair full of mayonnaise. How will he and Bea ever figure out how to get along in the same classroom community?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781682637180
Publisher:	Holiday House
Publication date:	07/30/2024
Series:	Buddy and Bea , #1
Pages:	80
Sales rank:	672,489
Product dimensions:	5.52(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.22(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Jan Carr is the author of more than fifty books, including picture books and books in popular series. She has worked as a Head Start teacher, a book editor, and a magazine editor at Sesame Workshop. She lives in New York City, where she bikes, goes to theater and ballet, and carts her compost to the farmers market. Visit her at JanCarr.net.

Kris Mukai is a cartoonist and writer who lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. She has drawn illustrations for The New Yorker, The New York Times, and Bloomberg Businessweek. Her self-published comic Commuter won the Medal of Excellence from the Society of Illustrators. She currently works as a writer at Cartoon Network and has written on Adventure Time, Craig of the Creek, We Bare Bears, and the WBB spin-off We Baby Bears. In her spare time she monitors hawk nests in her neighborhood.

Editorial Reviews

"Nicely pitched to the audience, this chapter book is full of the singular, buzzy energy and earnestness of second graders along with appealingly broad but not chaotic humor. . . . Cheerfully fun and lighthearted, with a relatable protagonist."—Kirkus Reviews

"Carr (Star of the Party) employs cheerful wordplay, situational comedy, and classic personality clashes in this bustling story which offers glimpses of Buddy’s and Bea’s inner lives and lays the groundwork for future installments."—Publishers Weekly

"Mukai’s boisterous cartoon illustrations are full of action and complement the energetic text. A funny and likable unlikely buddy comedy for independent readers."—Booklist

From the Publisher

06/26/2023

A bumpy first day of second grade heralds new friendships, nerve-wracking experiences, and ample commotion in this energetic chapter book series launch. Buddy Finn-Lee, who has round glasses and a stubborn cowlick, and whose dads describe him as a “poky little daydreamer,” has been excited about being in class 2-108 all summer, eager to see his friends from first grade and the cool teacher who takes students bird-watching. Buddy is disappointed when new teacher Ms. Maple introduces herself as class 2-108’s instructor, but a schoolroom surprise soon emerges in the form of Bea, a boisterous new student with plenty of forthright questions to ask. As Bea asserts herself as Buddy’s new pal, Buddy finds himself being corralled into myriad humorous hijinks, resulting in unwanted attention from the whole school. Accompanying b&w illustrations by debut cartoonist Mukai depict an always-moving student body rendered with varying skin tones. Carr (Star of the Party) employs cheerful wordplay, situational comedy, and classic personality clashes in this bustling story which offers glimpses of Buddy’s and Bea’s inner lives and lays the groundwork for future installments. Ages 5–8. Agent: Andrea Cascardi, Transatlantic Literary. (July)

Publishers Weekly

2023-05-09
Buddy’s first day of second grade is filled with unwanted surprises.

Buddy Finn-Lee had thought that his teacher would be bird-watcher Jabari, but the new teacher, Ms. Maple, is someone no one yet knows. During roll call, nobody responds when Ms. Maple asks if Bea is present. Buddy’s pal Joey’s joke from first grade, saving a seat all year for a classmate who never appeared, seems worth repeating, so Buddy is slightly miffed when Bea turns up, late, full voiced, clad nearly all in pink, and ready to explain the blood on her shoe. (An injury from an encounter with a table: “Don’t worry. I’ve had stitches before. A lot of times!”) Bea, impulsive where Buddy is cautious, focuses on Buddy’s cowlick, trying to plaster it down with spit and later with mayonnaise. She is bold and resourceful, finding the custodian when Buddy gets stuck trying to hide between two urinals. Will Buddy ever adjust to his new class? Nicely pitched to the audience, this chapter book is full of the singular, buzzy energy and earnestness of second graders along with appealingly broad but not chaotic humor. Ms. Maple’s telling the students about the name her Filipino immigrant parents gave her makes for a poignant moment. Buddy presents Asian, like one of his two dads, in the lively cartoon artwork, while Bea is light-skinned, and the class is diverse.

Cheerfully fun and lighthearted, with a relatable protagonist. (Chapter book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews