It's Justin Time, Amber Brown ANNOTATION
Unlike her best friend Justin, Amber Brown loves to measure time and hopes to receive a watch on her seventh birthday.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Amber Brown wants a watch for her birthday. Maybe her best friend, Justin Daniels, should get one too. He is never on time. Will Justin be late to Amber's birthday party, or will he be just in time to watch Amber open her gifts?
Amber Brown is . . .
"With spunky Amber Brown, Danziger adds to her oeuvre's sizable brood of magnetic young characters." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
"A feisty, lovable heroine." (School Library Journal, starred review)
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
The feisty series inaugurated in Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon is not just for middle graders any more - with these two volumes, Danziger and Ross introduce their winning heroine to beginning readers as well. Making Amber younger and showing the Brown family before divorce, Danziger simplifies her prose style without reducing her energy. She keeps several story lines moving, and she invigorates them with her characteristic love of puns and her kid-targeted sense of humor. In Justin Time, for example, which opens on the eve of Amber's birthday, she agitates for a watch ("I, Amber Brown, am one very excited six-year, 364-day-old kid"); she also tries to come to terms with her best friend's perpetual tardiness (the friend is Justin Daniels, who moves away in Crayon). In Trip, the Browns and the Daniels vacation together in the Poconos, during the course of which Justin hurts Amber's feelings, a business phone call during a dad-supervised outdoor sleepover annoys Amber, and Justin's left-out little brother finds a way to be included. The emotions are real and recognizable, and Amber's first-person narration makes even obvious jokes seem spontaneous (such as a riff on Poconos/"poke a nose"). Ross brings extra verve to his contributions. In Justin Time, for example, as Amber tells her stuffed-toy gorilla about the gift she wants, Ross shows her drawing a watch onto the gorilla's wrist. In aiming for a younger audience, Danziger and Ross have kept their standards just as high. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Children's Literature
A child on the eve of a seventh birthday is a bundle of eagerness and excitement. Amber Brown epitomizes all very-soon-to-be seven-year-olds in this prequel to the popular stories. With friend Justin Daniels, Amber spends the day before her birthday preoccupied with time—the time it takes Justin to come over to play and the time jokes she and Justin share. Amber wants a watch for her birthday so that she will know the time without asking others. Appealing first person narrative and typical child behaviors in the context of a loving family characterize this early reader. Amber's anxieties and happy birthday surprises roll forward with a quick pace and satisfying ending. The cartoon illustrations support the vibrancy and energy of Amber Brown. 2001, G.P. Putnam's Sons, . Ages 6 to 9. Reviewer: Jacki Vawter
School Library Journal
Gr 1-3-This easy-reader goes back to when Amber Brown is turning seven and time is of the essence. She has mastered telling time and wants nothing more than a watch for her birthday. Her best friend, Justin, on the other hand, has no regard for keeping time. He tells her that he'll be at her house "in three minutes" but doesn't appear for half an hour. Amber does get her birthday wish and realizes that friends can have differences and still get along. She sees that being on time works for her and "Justin Time" works for him. The illustrations capture the mood of the story, which is playful and spirited. Beginning readers will enjoy sharing Amber's pre-birthday anticipation and older readers may want to go back and see the early years of the characters they know and love. Either way, this title will be a welcome addition to most collections.-Genevieve Ceraldi, New York Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
AudioFile
Amber Brown appreciates the independence that comes with NOT having to rely on adults for everything. As her birthday approaches, she desperately wants a watch so she can be independent. Danziger laces the text with time references—from a caterpillar crossing Amber's shoe as she waits impatiently for her friend Justin to time jokes that will keep the beginning chapter book crowd smiling. What IS it that makes Justin late for a play date? Dana Lubotsky's voice has a childlike quality, and she narrates with both the matter-of-factness and urgency of an almost 7-year-old. A moderate pace assures the listener time to follow the storyline and appreciate Tony Ross's illustrations. Perky music provides background. A.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
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