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Title: Diary of a Mad Brownie
Author: Bruce Coville
Target: Grades 3-6
Series: First book in a planned series
What this book is about:
Angus is a brownie, not the kind you eat, or the kind that becomes a Girl Scout, but a magical creature that loves to do chores and cause mischief. When an ancient curse requires Angus to travel from Scotland to America to serve Alex, a typical eleven year old girl with a room that would make any brownie shudder, things go from bad to worse. While Alex does not appreciate Angus’ tidiness, it is the curse he brings upon the men in her family which causes the biggest problems. Her brother and father quit all their jobs and activities to concentrate on writing prose (yes a fancy word for poetry) and their lack of talent is becoming a major problem. Ending this curse will require Angus and Alex to work together, and discover a lasting bond in the effort.
Angus is a brownie, not the kind you eat, or the kind that becomes a Girl Scout, but a magical creature that loves to do chores and cause mischief. When an ancient curse requires Angus to travel from Scotland to America to serve Alex, a typical eleven year old girl with a room that would make any brownie shudder, things go from bad to worse. While Alex does not appreciate Angus’ tidiness, it is the curse he brings upon the men in her family which causes the biggest problems. Her brother and father quit all their jobs and activities to concentrate on writing prose (yes a fancy word for poetry) and their lack of talent is becoming a major problem. Ending this curse will require Angus and Alex to work together, and discover a lasting bond in the effort.
Why I love this book:
This book is quite funny and I caught myself laughing out loud several times. Reading the less than stellar poems, was giggle inducing enough, but the rest of the book had plenty to smile about.
This book is quite funny and I caught myself laughing out loud several times. Reading the less than stellar poems, was giggle inducing enough, but the rest of the book had plenty to smile about.
The format of the book is a diary format with notes and and diagrams thrown in for good measure. It made for a read that was easy to put down and pick up throughout a busy day.
Finally I grew to like Angus quite a bit. The one problem I foresee is that his Scottish speech at the beginning of the book took some getting used to. This might dissuade kids at the start, but they should stick with it because the book gets going fairly quickly after he lands in America.
Who this book is for:
With it’s diary format it will appeal to kids who want a quick read or kids who are intimidated by more dense text.
With it’s diary format it will appeal to kids who want a quick read or kids who are intimidated by more dense text.
Final thoughts:
A few errors in the flow of the book got my goat a bit, editing should have picked them up, but not really a problem for kids enjoying the story.
A few errors in the flow of the book got my goat a bit, editing should have picked them up, but not really a problem for kids enjoying the story.
To purchase this book:
Click on the following link to connect with Amazon: The Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie
A portion of each purchase will go back to support this blog at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.
I haven't read this one yet! Coville's does some great stuff, so I'll have to take a look. I'm with you on dialect, though. Not my favorite thing.
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