by Kate Beasley
Illustrated by Dan Santat
Published June, 2018
Farrar Straus Giroux
Fiction
Fifth grade is off to a terrible start when Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. His fellow troop mates—Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite—are terrifying. But in between trust-building exercises and midnight escape attempts, a tenuous friendship grows between them. Which is lucky, because a Category 5 hurricane is coming and everyone will have to work together—lions and fleas alike—to survive!
304 Pages
Advanced Reader's Copy provided by publisher
Goodreads Summary
Frederick Frederickson has a food-chain theory about life. There are lions, like the school bully. Gazelles, like the bullied kids. There are meerkats, and the fleas that live on the butts of meerkats. Frederick's a flea.Fifth grade is off to a terrible start when Frederick is sent to a disciplinary camp for troublesome boys. His fellow troop mates—Nosebleed, Specs, The Professor, and little-yet-lethal Ant Bite—are terrifying. But in between trust-building exercises and midnight escape attempts, a tenuous friendship grows between them. Which is lucky, because a Category 5 hurricane is coming and everyone will have to work together—lions and fleas alike—to survive!
My Thoughts
Frederick Frederickson is WAY down on the social food chain of 5th grade. Even his so-called friends are pretty quick to tell him how much of a loser he is. He feels like if he could just win something, then he would finally be popular. Through a series of events, he ends up going down a river alone on a boat with no motor and washes ashore at a disciplinary camp for boys. He is mistaken for another boy, Dash, who is infamous within the circle of boys for being reckless and dangerous. With this new identity comes instant respect and a good amount of fear from most of the campers who bend over backward to impress him or just give him anything he wants. He begins to enjoy this newfound power and popularity and doesn't want to go back to his old life. When his calm, law-abiding personality begins to shine through, some of the boys begin to doubt the validity of Dash's reputation and start to challenge him more verbally and physically.
Just when Frederick is ready to call his parents to come get him, a powerful hurricane hits. This experience is a turning point in the story as he, and one of his friends, face the dangerous storm together.
While I read the ARC, which did not have all of Dan Santat's illustrations, it did have a few which were excellent. This sprinkling of illustration will help middle grade readers understand the story and, let's face it, many middle graders still want to look at pictures in a book.
I would definitely add this one to your grade 3-5 library. I can think of many of my former 4th graders that would love it.
Just when Frederick is ready to call his parents to come get him, a powerful hurricane hits. This experience is a turning point in the story as he, and one of his friends, face the dangerous storm together.
While I read the ARC, which did not have all of Dan Santat's illustrations, it did have a few which were excellent. This sprinkling of illustration will help middle grade readers understand the story and, let's face it, many middle graders still want to look at pictures in a book.
I would definitely add this one to your grade 3-5 library. I can think of many of my former 4th graders that would love it.
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