School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-On the first day of sixth grade, Peter and his friend Drew are shocked to discover that they are no longer popular. Familiar things no longer seem important to their classmates ("That's so fifth grade!"), many of them became friendly with students from the other elementary school over the summer, and the school bullies have spotted them and are determined to make them miserable. The boys conduct several "get-popular-quick schemes," all of them ending in disappointment or disaster. Additionally, someone is on the prowl, determined to take something from every person. If Peter and Drew can catch the thief, then maybe they could finally recapture their lost stature. Yoo's quirky characters come off a little uneven, good for only an occasional laugh. While this story may hold some kids over until the next "Wimpy Kid" release, most libraries can safely pass.-Richelle Roth, Boone County Public Library, KY (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
When Peter starts middle school, he and his best friend Drew discover they have become losers-turns out that collecting mica and talking in robot voices is "so fifth grade." The one bright spot for Peter is a class for gifted kids focused on creating inventions. But when he steals chemicals from science class to work on a prototype, he ends up with a month of detention-right alongside the school bullies, the Sweet brothers. Yoo's (Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before) plot meanders somewhat, but Peter and Drew's antics will keep readers laughing (during a talent show magic act, Peter tries escaping from a straitjacket, but ends up passed out "hanging upside down from the rafters"). After earning the Sweet brothers' respect, Peter begins to resurrect his reputation, but when his classmates suspect he's responsible for a rash of thefts at school, he and Drew make an elaborate plan to prove his innocence. Even readers who guess the thief's identity early on will be entertained by the boys' hijinks and empathize with their desire to fit in. Ages 10-up. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
How far can you fall from the top of the social ladder? Straight to rock bottom, as sixth-grader Peter Lee and his best pal Drew Newmark discover on their first day at Fenwick Middle. All their popular elementary-school antics -- speaking in robot voices, gathering collections of unusual items at recess -- are now deemed "so fifth grade." To make matters worse, Peter learns that the teachers all adore his big sister Sunny. Determined to be among the "kings of the school" again, Peter brainstorms a series of schemes. One of them, his detention theory, finally works: by getting popular classmates in trouble, he discovers he can buddy up to them in detention. Of course, with his focus on popularity rather than academics, Peter, a hyper-smart (and swellheaded) student who never had to study in elementary school, soon flunks most of his classes. Yoo adds engaging subplots (a school thief, an invention contest) and realistic conflict (tension between Peter and Drew) to his laugh-out-loud, spot-on portrayal of middle-school life. And the hands-down highlight is his dialogue: tween readers will absolutely love lines like "what's in your left back pocket?" "Some lint...Oh, and my left butt cheek!" tanya d. auger (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Being cool in the sixth grade turns out to be an unexpected challenge.Peter Lee isn't surprised to be accepted into the academically gifted program. Fifth grade was a breeze, and he and best friend Drew were popular because of their expert collecting skills. Peter's perfect, older sister Sunny warns him that middle school's completely different; she couldn't be more right. On the first day, Peter and Drew learn that no one followed through on their mica-collecting challenge from last year. There's no recess. Everyone grew. By the end of the day, Peter's pretty sure they're losers. How can they regain their popularity? Following Sunny around only proves she's busy, not popular. Faked pictures from parties "in another town" impress no one. Even a cool escapist act for the talent show only nets them embarrassing nicknames. When Peter ends up in detention, inspiration strikes, though it jeopardizes his friendship with Drew. Yoo's lovable loser becomes a whole lot less so when he preys on his best friend's naivet. His journey from totally self-centered dweeb to team player is littered with wacky speed bumps (mostly of his own unwitting design), and preteens will see themselves and their peers in the halls of Fenwick Middle.A slow start and a few uncomfortable laughs mar this at-times funny tale of a sixth-grade outcast. (Fiction. 9-12)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Peter Lee is cautiously optimistic about sixth grade. Sure, his eighth-grade sister, Sunny, is the queen of Fenwick Middle School, and his best friend, Drew, doesn't share any classes with him, but he is a champion mica collector, and he has great ideas for the Inventors' Fair. Unfortunately, his middle-school experience turns out to be a litany of atomic wedgies and solitary lunches. A series of harebrained plans to boost his popularity lands Peter in detention, where his stature shifts and things start to look different, if not up. Peter's earnest, myopic first-person narration is authentic and convincing, and Yoo exposes the precarious footing and shifting allegiances of middle school with a deft hand, as relationships stretch and strain under the pressures of adolescence. A mystery about the Fenwick Middle School thief contributes to the quick pace and adds a satisfactory surprise. Young people of every stripe will see themselves in Peter and his well-drawn classmates and will come away entertained, encouraged, and a little wiser.--Barthelmess, Thom Copyright 2010 Booklist