January 1, 2013
Gr 1-3-An innocent-but incomplete-wish on a shooting star has left fourth-grader George Brown in a constant battle with unpredictable "super burps." Once unleashed, George is prone to brief spells of "weirdo freak-outs," like hokey-pokeying on an ice cream parlor tabletop or barking like a dog while licking the principal's hand. In this episode, George has been invited to the water park birthday party of his enemy, Louie, because the boy's mom insisted that he invite the entire class. George knows he will have to overcome the power of the super burp so he doesn't embarrass himself in front of Louie and his sycophantic friends. To try to get his burps in check, George finally reveals the truth about his plight to his best friend, Alex, who is attempting to get into the Schminess Book of World Records for collecting the world's biggest ABC (Already Been Chewed) wad of gum. With Alex's help, they try to scientifically "squelch the belch" with hilarious results. Todd Ross enthusiastically reads Krulik's story (Grosset, 2011), but the narration doesn't match the rapidly paced slapstick events. He's less successful with girls' voices, especially Sage (George's not-so-secret admirer) whose voice sounds cartoonish. The story is overshadowed by the disgustingly humorous burp sound effects that will leave kids rolling with laughter; they would have been even better if they were as loud and lasted as long as they are described in the book. Gross-out humor and brief chapters make this an ideal pick for reluctant readers and listeners.-Jennifer Verbrugge, Dakota County Library, Eagan, MN
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