Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-you Notes
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Ten-year-old Moxy, a champion procrastinator who put off her summer reading in Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (2007), here avoids the chore of writing thank-you notes. While laugh-aloud funny in places and blink-back-the-tears sad in others, the book's humor and pathos may appeal more to adults than to kids. Still, all will enjoy the story's fresh narration and flawed heroine. And the good-size type, generous line spacing, short chapters, and use of photos will please other procrastinators looking for a read that is at least 150 pages long and doesn't look babyish.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2008 Booklist

Gr 3-5-Eager to avoid the procrastination problems that occurred in Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (Random, 2007), this resourceful protagonist has promised her mother that she'll finish her holiday thank-you notes by the day after Christmas. Part of the rush is due to the fact that she and her twin, Mark, have been invited to visit their father in California and to attend a Big New Year's Eve Star-Studded Hollywood Bash. Moxy is a year older, but not necessarily wiser, than in the first book, and finds plenty of activities to distract her from her task. As time grows short, she concocts a wild plan to get the notes done on time-one involving her stepfather's brand-new copy machine and a can of gold spray paint. Understandably, disaster ensues, and Moxy must face the consequences, as well as handle some disappointing news. Through it all, the spunky heroine perseveres and even gains a new appreciation for her mother. This sequel continues in the same unusual format as the first book: humorous chapter titles, some chapters with little or no text, and photographs (purportedly taken by Mark). The short chapters, which jump from topic to topic just like Moxy's thoughts, help establish the frenetic mood. Give this to students who are fans of the first book (though it stands on its own) or those who enjoy stories of spirited girls like Sara Pennypacker's Clementine (Hyperion).-Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(Intermediate) Moxy Maxwell's mother warns her that unless she finishes writing all twelve of her Christmas thank-you notes before traveling to Los Angeles to visit her big-shot Hollywood mover-and-shaker father, there will be "consequences." Moxy, a cross between Walter Mitty and Lucy Ricardo for the beginning-chapter-book set, pursues her typical rounds of procrastination, daydreaming, and scheming, assisted by her entourage: her five-year-old sister, Pansy, and her Moxy-worshiping neighbor, Sam. Mayhem eventually ensues, some of which results in an out-of-control photocopier, a broken La-Z-Boy chair, and accidental living room vandalism with forbidden gold spray paint. As with the first book in the series, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (rev. 9/07), amusing photographs (taken in the story by Moxy's twin brother Mark) accompany the writing and enhance many of the funniest moments, and playful chapter titles foreshadow upcoming mini-disasters. There are a few developments: stepfather Ajax, who was more of a background presence in the original, is given a more prominent role, and the plot touches upon such noncomedic subjects as absentee parents and blended families. In the end, while not fully reformed, Moxy gives an indication that she is making some progress, although not too much: readers can expect to delight in her future grandiose schemes and reveries. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ten-year-old Moxy Maxwell has 13 thank-you notes to finish before she and her twin brother Mark can go visit their father in Hollywood at the end of their Christmas vacation. Part of Moxy's current career plan includes becoming a rich and famous movie star through being "discovered" on this trip, but her procrastination has pushed her mother to threaten to cancel the visit if they aren't done that afternoon. Moxy's typically inventive scheme--involving her stepfather's new copier and gold spray paint--has unintended consequences. Black-and-white photographs, attributed to her brother, document the chaos that ensues. The off-kilter illustrations, obvious chapter headings, deadpan narration and repetition add to the humor but also make this an appealingly easy read. Gifford knows just what will attract her audience. This sequel to Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (2007) has a bit more depth, touching on the painful situation of children whose father doesn't have time for them, but is just as funny as the first. Resourceful and resilient, Moxy is a pleasure to meet again. (Fiction. 7-11) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Ten-year-old Moxy, a champion procrastinator who put off her summer reading in Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (2007), here avoids the chore of writing thank-you notes. While laugh-aloud funny in places and blink-back-the-tears sad in others, the book's humor and pathos may appeal more to adults than to kids. Still, all will enjoy the story's fresh narration and flawed heroine. And the good-size type, generous line spacing, short chapters, and use of photos will please other procrastinators looking for a read that is at least 150 pages long and doesn't look babyish. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

Gr 3–5— Eager to avoid the procrastination problems that occurred in Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little (Random, 2007), this resourceful protagonist has promised her mother that she'll finish her holiday thank-you notes by the day after Christmas. Part of the rush is due to the fact that she and her twin, Mark, have been invited to visit their father in California and to attend a Big New Year's Eve Star-Studded Hollywood Bash. Moxy is a year older, but not necessarily wiser, than in the first book, and finds plenty of activities to distract her from her task. As time grows short, she concocts a wild plan to get the notes done on time—one involving her stepfather's brand-new copy machine and a can of gold spray paint. Understandably, disaster ensues, and Moxy must face the consequences, as well as handle some disappointing news. Through it all, the spunky heroine perseveres and even gains a new appreciation for her mother. This sequel continues in the same unusual format as the first book: humorous chapter titles, some chapters with little or no text, and photographs (purportedly taken by Mark). The short chapters, which jump from topic to topic just like Moxy's thoughts, help establish the frenetic mood. Give this to students who are fans of the first book (though it stands on its own) or those who enjoy stories of spirited girls like Sara Pennypacker's Clementine (Hyperion).—Jackie Partch, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR