Going, going, gone! with the Pain & the Great One

The Pain (little brother) and the Great One (older sister) return in a third set of adventures that takes them on the road. There's a trip to the beach that involves boogie boards and wolf masks, a visit to the county fair and a ride on the Gravitron, and a stop at the hospital when Jacob, the Pain, sticks a pussy willow up his nose. Then Jacob goes missing at the mall, and the sibling relationship shows its true mettle. As always, Blume gets right to the heart of children's concerns and relationships. Here, Stevenson's line artwork adds to the fun.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2008 Booklist

K-Gr 3-Abigail (the Great One) and Jake (the Pain) are back. The theme for this book is traveling, whether it is as close as the local mall, showcasing the Pain's attempt to walk down the up escalator, or as far as the Florida Everglades, where the Great One tries to keep from being bitten by alligators by wearing her leather cowboy boots. An emergency room trip to get a pussy willow removed from the Pain's nose will make readers laugh out loud. The nine short stories beautifully capture the experiences of siblings who love one another but who don't always get along. Their long-suffering cat, Fluzzy, gets his own chapter at the end. Stevenson's drawings perfectly complement the tales. Blume has delivered another funny story collection about two memorable characters.-Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

First- and third-graders Jake and Abigail alternate as narrators to describe a series of trips: boogie boarding at the beach, riding the Gravitron at an amusement park, visiting the emergency room, losing each other in the mall and canoeing the Everglades. The focus is always on the siblings, although adults--extended family and in one case a babysitter--accompany them. A bonus episode is told by the cat, Fluzzy, whose response to their trips is completely convincing. Each story is simply told with quiet humor, sometimes more a vignette than a rounded narrative--but, as always, Blume gets right to the hearts of her characters, revealing their fears, their resentments and their affection for each other. Stevenson's grey-washed cartoon illustrations enliven the pages. Each chapter can stand on its own, making this particularly accessible for the struggling reader. This is the third of a projected quartet of chapter books, sure to be welcomed as enthusiastically as its predecessors were. (Fiction. 6-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

"The Pain (little brother) and the Great One (older sister) return in a third set of adventures that takes them on the road. There's a trip to the beach that involves boogie boards and wolf masks, a visit to the county fair and a ride on the Gravitron, and a stop at the hospital when Jacob, the Pain, sticks a pussy willow up his nose. Then Jacob goes missing at the mall, and the sibling relationship shows its true mettle. As always, Blume gets right to the heart of children's concerns and relationships. Here, Stevenson's line artwork adds to the fun." Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

K-Gr 3— Abigail (the Great One) and Jake (the Pain) are back. The theme for this book is traveling, whether it is as close as the local mall, showcasing the Pain's attempt to walk down the up escalator, or as far as the Florida Everglades, where the Great One tries to keep from being bitten by alligators by wearing her leather cowboy boots. An emergency room trip to get a pussy willow removed from the Pain's nose will make readers laugh out loud. The nine short stories beautifully capture the experiences of siblings who love one another but who don't always get along. Their long-suffering cat, Fluzzy, gets his own chapter at the end. Stevenson's drawings perfectly complement the tales. Blume has delivered another funny story collection about two memorable characters.—Kathleen Meulen, Blakely Elementary School, Bainbridge Island, WA