Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn YouTube
    • Home
    • Submission Guidelines
    • Media Kit
    • About
    • Contact
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest TikTok
    The Children's Book Review
    Subscribe
    • Books by Subject
    • Books by Age
      • Ages 0-3, Infant and Toddler
      • Ages 4-8, Preschool to Elementary
      • Ages 9-12, Preteen and Tween
      • Ages 12+, Teen and Young Adult
      • Books for First Grade Readers
      • Books for Second Grade Readers
      • Books for Third Grade Readers
    • Favorites
      • Diverse and Inclusive Books
      • Books About Activism
      • Best Books for Kids
      • Star Wars Books
      • Board Books
      • Books About Mindfulness
      • Dr. Seuss Books
    • Showcase
    • Interviews
      • Growing Readers Podcast
      • Author Interviews and Q&A
      • Illustrator Interviews
    • Kids’ Book Giveaways
    • Directory
    • Podcast
    The Children's Book Review

    Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-in-Training | Book Review

    Dr. Jen HarrisonBy Dr. Jen Harrison2 Mins Read Ages 4-8 Ages 9-12 Books with Boy Characters Chapter Books Humor
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Book Review of Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-in-Training
    The Children’s Book Review

    Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-in-Training

    Written by Laurie Calkhoven

    Illustrated by Debbie Palen

    Ages 8-12 | 128 Pages

    Publisher: One Elm Books | ISBN: 978-1-947159-18-1

    What to Expect: Realism, school story, friendship.

    Roosevelt doesn’t mean to be a “bad” kid. It’s just that all the best ideas—like burping during silent reading, pretending to be a zombie and scaring the girls at lunch, and demonstrating bike safety by sending your bike down a hill to crash with a melon strapped into a bike helmet riding it—do seem to involve getting in trouble. The bike experiment may have made a winning science fair project, but it also made Roosevelt’s parents so angry that they refused to buy him a new bike.

    Now that his two best friends are planning the biking-camping trip of the century, though, Roosevelt will have to get a new bike or risk being left behind—and that will mean being good for two whole weeks. Will he manage it, or will Eddie Spaghetti steal his place on the trip and his friends?

    Perfect for second- to third-grade-level readers, Roosevelt Banks is funny, relatable, and engaging. Roosevelt himself has a lively voice and internal monologue that makes him realistic, inviting readers to step into his shoes as he negotiates the seemingly nonsensical decisions of parents and teachers and the sometimes-hurtful actions of his friends and classmates. Laurie Calkhoven portrays the politics of the schoolyard sensitively, without concealing the fact that children can be thoughtless and cruel to one another, but also emphasizing the importance of empathy and care for others.

    Readers are sure to be glad when Roosevelt earns his reward at the end of the story and may pick up some helpful strategies for friendship management along the way.

    Buy the Book

    Buy on AmazonBuy on Bookshop

    About the Author

    Laurie Calkhoven has never swallowed a frog or sung too loud in music class, but she is the author of many books for young readers. Laurie lives in New York City.

    About the Illustrator

    Debbie Palen works in watercolor, colored pencils, pastels, and many, many Q-tips which can be found scattered all over her Cleveland, Ohio, studio.

    Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-in-Training, written by Laurie Calkhoven and illustrated by Debbie Palen, was reviewed by Dr. Jen Harrison. Discover more books like Roosevelt Banks: Good-Kid-in-Training by following our reviews and articles tagged with school and friendship.

    How You Support The Children's Book Review
    We may receive a small commission from purchases made via the links on this page. If you discover a book or product of interest on this page and use the links provided to make a purchase, you will help support our mission to 'Grow Readers.' Your support means we can keep delivering quality content that's available to all. Thank you!
    Debbie Palen Friendship Laurie Calkhoven One Elm Books Realism School
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleKate DiCamillo Discusses The Beatryce Prophecy
    Next Article Megabat is a Fraidybat, by Anna Humphrey | Book Review
    Dr. Jen Harrison
    • Website
    • Twitter

    Dr. Jen Harrison currently teaches writing and literature at East Stroudsburg University. She also provides freelance writing, editing, and tuition services as the founder of Read.Write.Perfect. She completed her Ph.D. in Children’s and Victorian Literature at Aberystwyth University in Wales, in the UK. After a brief spell in administration, Jen then trained as a secondary school English teacher and worked for several years teaching Secondary School English, working independently as a private tutor of English, and working in nursery and primary schools. She is an editor for the peer-reviewed journal of children’s literature, Jeunesse, and publishes academic work on children’s non-fiction, YA speculative fiction, and the posthuman.

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    TCBR Supporter
    Recent Articles
    • Escape the Mummy’s Tomb: Crack The Codes, Solve The Puzzles, And Make Your Escape! | Book Review
    • Chick and Brain: Egg or Eyeball? | Book Review
    • The Best Books to Read After the Percy Jackson Series
    • Mona Lisa in New York | Book Review
    • The Runaway Snowball, by Justin Robin | Dedicated Review
    TCBR Supporters
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today

    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    sponsored | become a TCBR supporter today
    Discover Kids Books by Age
    Best Books For Kids
    Media Kit: The Children's Book Review
    Author and Illustrator Showcase
    SEARCH
    BOOKS BY SUBJECT
    Archives
    Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest YouTube LinkedIn TikTok
    • Book Shop
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Buzzworthy Mentions on the Path to Growing Readers!
    • About TCBR
    © 2023 The Children’s Book Review. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.