What a Trip, Amber Brown ANNOTATION
Amber Brown and her parents go to the Poconos for two weeks with Amber's best friend, Justin, and his family.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Best friends Amber Brown and Justin Daniels are taking a vacation together! There's just one problem-Justin's little brother, Danny. He always wants to tag along. Can Amber find a way to make Danny go away so she can have Justin all to herself?
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
It was with some trepidation that I picked up this Amber Brown story. Having thoroughly enjoyed Danziger's Amber Brown books for middle readers, I wasn't sure that one of my favorite characters could make the transition back to a younger age. Happily, Amber is her spunky amusing self, and Danziger has done a marvelous job with this early reader. The delightful watercolor illustrations by Ross are a perfect match and add even more humor to the story. Amber and her friend Justin and their families are off for a vacation in the Poconos. They have their usual ins and outs, but reconcile in time for the really big treat—camping out in a tent with their dads. They get a real surprise when the attacking grizzly bear turns out to be a bare Danny, Justin's younger brother. Danziger is her usual "punny" self, and kids who enjoy this story about the young Amber are really going to relish her other books when they are a few years older. 2001, Putnam, $12.99. Ages 5 to 8. Reviewer: Marilyn Courtot
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-Dana Lubotsky narrates this charming audio version of Paula Danziger's book (Putnam, 2001), a Beginning to Read level 2 story about second grader Amber and her best friend, Justin, going on vacation to the "Poke a nose" in Pennsylvania with their families. The background music and pauses in the narration enhance the story for young readers. Although younger children will enjoy listening and following along with the story, the vocabulary is definitely at or above the second grade level for independent reading. The children in the story have realistic and believable emotions, experiences, and reactions. One side of the cassette has page-turn signals. This is a great story for a classroom group listening center, for independent modeling for English Language Acquisition students, or for a guided reading experience for less fluent readers.-Sherrie Davidson, Lyn Knoll Elementary School, Aurora, CO Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
AudioFile
When their families take a joint vacation to the Poconos, Amber Brown and her best friend (usually), Justin, swim, explore, and play delightedly until a fateful cannonball into the pool. Amber contemplates revenge at the sleep-out with the dads, but it can be hard to stay mad at Justin. Hot dogs, roasted marshmallows, and ghost stories all go well until. . . who is making noise outside the tent? Dana Lubotsky creates the personality of exuberant Amber and brings a freshness to the story. Amber's delights and hurts become real to the listener. Lubotsky adds just the right amount of whine for Justin's brother, Danny, and gruffness for the fathers. Nighttime sound effects and background music complete the recording. A.R. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine
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