OCT/NOV 02 - AudioFile
When Tyler goes to spend two weeks with his Uncle Pete, a writer on the hottest sitcom on TV, he has a plan. Tyler is going to do everything he can to get on the show. It looks like things are going his way when he befriends the daughter of one of the stars, but he quickly gets on the wrong side of one of the other stars, who is also the co-producer. At first, Max Casella sounds too old to be convincing as a 12-year-old boy, an important concern in a first-person narration. This problem quickly fades as the snappy plot moves along and Tyler’s personality begins to shine through. Tyler is awkward and often uncertain but also extremely funny. Listeners will laugh at and with Tyler and will get a revealing behind-the-scenes look at television along the way. A.F. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
A 12-year-old boy is secretly delighted to be shuffled off to Los Angeles, where he learns from his uncle how TV writers, producers and actors put together a show and the lingo on the job. "Audiences are likely to stay tuned, right through the closing credits," wrote PW. Ages 10-14. (July) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-Tyler lives in Chicago. Although his parents are divorced, they both give him plenty of quality time. However, neither one is available at the end of summer break, so he is sent to Hollywood to spend two weeks with his uncle, an award-winning writer on the popular TV sitcom Kids in the House. The 12-year-old considers this a lucky break, because he wants to be an actor on the show. Tyler is a likable character with a sense of humor. Readers will laugh at his tendency to "fall into a pit of mischief," and will enjoy his comical take on many of his adventures. He is surrounded by amusing, quirky characters, including his uncle, who is really a kid in an adult's body; Frog, his e-mail buddy; and Samantha, who knows her way around the Kids set and Hollywood. Atinsky gives readers practical advice, funny anecdotes, and behind-the-scenes details. Reluctant readers and those who love the lure of Hollywood or a good story will breeze through this fine first novel.-Lynn Bryant, Great Bridge Middle School, Chesapeake, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
OCT/NOV 02 - AudioFile
When Tyler goes to spend two weeks with his Uncle Pete, a writer on the hottest sitcom on TV, he has a plan. Tyler is going to do everything he can to get on the show. It looks like things are going his way when he befriends the daughter of one of the stars, but he quickly gets on the wrong side of one of the other stars, who is also the co-producer. At first, Max Casella sounds too old to be convincing as a 12-year-old boy, an important concern in a first-person narration. This problem quickly fades as the snappy plot moves along and Tyler’s personality begins to shine through. Tyler is awkward and often uncertain but also extremely funny. Listeners will laugh at and with Tyler and will get a revealing behind-the-scenes look at television along the way. A.F. © AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
