One-Third Nerd by Gennifer Choldenko

How I Heard About It:  This was a novel that I began hearing about this past spring.  I kept seeing comments about the story during the last couple summer months and decided it was time to read.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

1.  *Liam is in fifth grade.  His younger sister Dakota is in third grade while Izzy is in first grade.  

2.  *The last thing Liam wants is to be associated with the "nerds", but his sister Dakota can make that very difficult.  



3.  *Dakota embraces her inner nerd, loves science and experiments.  Some of these experiments may get her family kicked out of their apartment.  

4.  *The three children become upset when they learn they may have to get rid of their family dog because of all the '"accidents" he continues to have in the apartment.  

5.  *Dakota and Liam, along with the help of others, come up with ways to earn money so they can take their dog to the VET to eliminate his problems.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *It was awesome to begin the book and realize it was written for early elementary readers.  It seems most books are for readers in fourth and above.  This novel could be used with second and/or third graders.  

2.  *I liked that the chapters were short and contained illustrations.  The chapter headings were also an attractive feature of the book.  

3.  *The characters were awesome and their interactions were fun, authentic, and at times hysterical.

4.  *As "light" as the story may seem, there are some meaningful and important moments/themes strewn throughout the pages.  

5.  *Any novel that highlights the joys of being a "nerd" is a sure winner in my "book"!  


Who Should Read It:    A novel that definitely could be used in grades two through five.  The story could be shared as a class read aloud and/or put in the individual hands of a child.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!