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Summary
Summary
Here are two mean and nasty words: Mrs. Cakel
Something has gone wrong in Danny and Calvin's fourth-grade classroom--out of the blue, Mrs. Cakel has transformed from a rampant rule-enforcer to a quiet excuse-accepter. Has she been replaced with an alien? Has she undergone a top-secret personality makeover?
Danny and Calvin decide there's only one way to find out what's really going on--spy. But spying soon leads to a greater mystery filled with dog chasing, jelly-injected donuts, prune butter-included experiments, riddle mania, and more!
Praise for Danny's Doodle's: The Jelly Bean Experiment:
"The first-person narration, realistic characters and occasional line-drawing 'doodles' will keep pages turning."--Kirkus Reviews
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-4-Fourth-grader Danny and his eccentric friend Calvin have a mystery to solve. Mrs. Cakel, their terrifying and dictatorial teacher, has been replaced by a clone who allows them to slouch and chew gum. Unheard of! Confused by such an abrupt change in behavior, the two decide to snoop around and get some answers. In the midst of their investigation, both boys experience abrupt changes in their lives. Danny's father loses his job, while Calvin's mother, who is just as peculiar and flighty as her son, lands a new job making doughnuts. Despite their own familial issues, the two boys discover the key to Mrs. Cakel's personality shift and set out to return things to normal. The story has likable characters and a well-paced plot. It is filled with Danny's doodles, which will appeal to some readers and make a first chapter book less intimidating. While an easy read, Adler deftly incorporates deeper issues, such as Mrs. Cakel's solitary life and Calvin's father abandonment of his family. Hand this one to kids who've graduated from Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate the Great" series (Random) but aren't quite ready for a lengthier, weightier read.-Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
What could have turned mean Mrs. Cakel nice? Ten-year-old Danny's fourth-grade teacher has rules about everything, and her favorite word is "No." No mumbling. No slouching. No passing notes. No eating in class. Danny's unconventional friend, Calvin Waffle, is always getting into trouble. Then Mrs. Cakel suddenly turns nice. The boys decide to investigate (Calvin says his father's a spy, so he knows "lots of spy tricks"). When they find their teacher's house, they discover "lost dog" posters all over the neighborhood, and when they call the number on the posters, Mrs. Cakel answers. The friends decide to find the dog, get the reward and return Mrs. Cakel to normal. Meanwhile, Calvin's scattered mother gets a new job, and Danny's father loses his. With all these changes, will the boys still make the right choices? Though it starts with a head-scratcherwhy would the boys and their friends want the mean Mrs. Cakel back?Adler's second tale of doodle-loving Danny features real kid characters with real kid perspectives on the adult world. Danny's actual doodles feel a bit of an afterthought or a gimmicky grab at the younger fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but this quirky tale of genuine friendship is still worth a look. Not up to the standards set by Adler's Cam Jansen but an enjoyable light read. (Mystery. 7-9) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Jelly beans give way to jelly donuts as the sticky snack of choice in a second episode featuring inveterate doodler Danny and his attention-challenged classmate Calvin Waffle. Puzzled by a personality change in their fourth-grade teacher who has suddenly gone from being fiercely strict to sad and distracted the lads set out to find the cause. Playing Calvin's sometimes-scary recklessness off against Danny's methodical, systematic gathering of clues, Adler concocts a credible investigation and a happy resolution. Over and above that, though, the book artfully portrays a dynamic friendship between seeming opposites that points to ways of making better choices without losing the fun. Meanwhile, in another emotionally nuanced set of contrasts, Danny's dad goes through a (short) spell of unemployment while Calvin's manic single mom lands a gig filling donuts at a local bakery and soon needs help in researching new filling flavors. It all adds up to a chapter book that is light of tone but rich in themes and character interactions. Danny's doodled line drawings in the margins add occasional notes of humor.--Peters, John Copyright 2014 Booklist