Pilger, Seamus and Gilpin, Stephen. Fart Squad.April 21st 2015 by HarperCollins
E ARC from Edelweiss
When Darren's lunch is stolen out of his locker by the BO twins, Bertha and Oscar, he is forced to eat the multiply rewarmed burritos in the school cafeteria, which lead to him having farts that set his pants on fire. When the group steals the lunches of other students (including the lunches of Walter Turnip and Tina Heiney), they also have to eat the burritos, with similar results. Luckily, after being sent to the principal's office, Darren and his group are counselled by Stan the janitor, and he helps them to harness their powers. This is good, because Harry Buttz, whose family founded the town and who is very wealthy, is also cursed by a permanent itch on his posterior, which he believes can be alleviated if he finds the magical butt scratcher that is buried under the school. If he uses it, however, it might become overloaded, and cause the butts of everyone in the town to itch. Can the Fart Squad save the day?
Strengths: This is a notebook novel involving excessive farting. It will fly off the shelf of any 4th to 6th grade library.
Weaknesses: There was nothing of redeeming literary quality to this at all. I live in hope of an epic comic fart novel, but this isn't it. The names were annoying, and there was just nothing... clever.
What I really think: If I had this in my library, it would be the literary equivalent of giving my students crack laced Pop Tarts. I can't do it.
Just because the book has words kids laugh at doesn't make it worth reading. The Day my Butt went Psycho is a perfect example. I never saw a student finish it. They just put it down and moved on. Authors need to realize kids are SMART.
ReplyDelete"I live in hope of an epic comic fart novel" That's issuing a challenge.
ReplyDelete