Stinky Stern Forever

by Michelle Edwards

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Starred Review. Gr 1-3–This fourth book in the series focuses on a potentially scary and emotionally charged theme: the death of a classmate. Pa Lia Vang doesn't like Stinky Stern, the bully of her second-grade class. But late one day, on his way home from school, he is hit by a van in full view of the child. She learns later that evening that he has died. When the students take turns remembering him, Pa Lia is unsure of what to say. In an honest and sensitive series of remembrances, the author never allows her characters to sugarcoat or gloss over the boy's past injustices. The children acknowledge the truth about their relationship with Stinky, but also express their sadness and confusion about his death. Edwards's expressive black-and-white computer-sketched illustrations provide additional details about the characters and setting. The author handles the topic with skill and sensitivity, a significant accomplishment given the vocabulary and structural constraints of the easy-to-read chapter-book format. While the subject matter is indeed serious and the tone, for the most part, somber, children who have experienced the loss of a classmate or friend will find hope in this honest presentation.–Carol L. MacKay, Camrose Public Library, Alberta, Canada
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From BookList, September 1, 2005, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Gr. 1-3. In this latest entry in the Jackson Friends series, second-grader Pa Lia Vang is upset when fellow classmate Matthew “Stinky” Stern intentionally ruins her intricate, cut-paper snowflakes. On the same afternoon, though, Stinky is killed by a car. The next day, Pa Lia's wise teacher invites students to share their memories of Stinky, and Pa Lia has conflicted emotions, because she never liked the boy. She works through her complex feelings by drawing pictures of episodes in Stinky's life, as recounted by her classmates. Finally, when a boy stands up and announces that he never liked Stinky but will still miss him, Pa Lia comes to better understand her feelings. Edwards manages to portray deep and complicated emotions through simple language in a short book for young readers. Her computer-generated, black-and-white illustrations add to the story's emotional depth by representing Pa Lia's thought processes as she struggles to understand the frightening events. An excellent exploration of the difficult subject of death.
ToddMorning.
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