Title: Charles McCheese and the Childhood News Network
Author: Emma Jean
Genre: Middle Grade Comedic Adventure
Book Blurb:
A 4Pigs2Fly 3rd Grade Must Read
Praise for Charles McCheese
★★★★★ LOVED THE BOOK! It was so clever and fun.
★★★★★ "An awesome read for kids. My 10 year old is demanding a sequel, and a plane ticket to Tokyo, he wants to get rescued by Captain Shinobi too! "
★★★★★ "Charles McCheese and the Childhood News Network is absurd in the perfect way that kids love. This story is filled with so much magic and adventure that you start to believe it's all possible, like maybe you could turn a rubber duck into a sailboat if you just knew how to dream big enough.
★★★★★ If you like tacos, ninjas, and the Queen of England than this is the book for you!
DESCRIPTION
Charles McCheese, the eleven-year-old founder of The Childhood News Network, only has two rules for his reporters: they keep grow-ups out of the news, and they report on Southwest Florida and Southwest Florida only.
That was the station’s magic formula until Naveen shows up and starts bringing his mom everywhere. Plus, he’s convinced the other reporters they can cover stories from all around the world, when the truth is most of them can’t even find their way home from school.
Charles is forced to consider shutting down the station, while his out of control reporters are off chasing conspiracies of their own invention. It’s pretty clear that his team has lost their minds. His second least reliable reporter is never going to get out of Tokyo, and his least reliable reporter is never going to survive her voyage on a giant duck across the English Channel.
The worst part is everyone still finds time to be mad at Charles. Why can’t they see that this is all Naveen’s fault and why can't they all stop talking about Taco Tuesday?
My Review:
A fun and exciting read for kids! Charles isn't your typical kid, but he acts like the normal kid which makes this fun. There are a ton of lessons to be learned from reading this book. You learn to be willing to accept new ideas. You learn that others have valid things to offer too. You learn that seasick children shouldn't ride across the Pacific on an aircraft carrier! You learn some truth too. Puppy and kitten videos can be big rating grabbers. You learn everyone loves a rubber ducky, even royalty.
This book is a clever concept that flows smoothly from one day to the next. The author captures the innocence of child with an ebullience of fantasy thrown in. The creativity of concepts will appeal to both child and parent. A very fun book that will be a must read for kids.
My Rating: 5 stars
Buy it Now:
Author Biography:
Emma Jean lives in Massachusetts, near the Mayflower (the one the Pilgrims sailed on... or at least a pretty good replica), with her husband, two sons and one troublesome Basset Hound.
She studied Creative Writing at Holy Cross then earned her Masters in School Counseling at Assumption College. Like her reporters she found time to travel the world, helping with the Katrina clean up effort in New Orleans, studying abroad in Sri Lanka, and working alongside the Peace Corps. in Armenia. She worked with the Red Cross and counseled children in some of the toughest cities in Massachusetts.
Social Media Links:
Instagram: Emma.Jean.Author
Twitter: @EmmaJeanAuthor
Reviewed by: Mr. N