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Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time

by Lisa Yee

Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time is Lisa Yee’s second of three books that began with Millicent Min, Girl Genius. Yes, I’m working through the three books. Next up, So Totally Emily Ebers. One of the reviewers said something like no one but Lisa Yee could take three characters involved in one story and turn it into three books. Well, she did it and did it well.

 

What I like most about this three book series are the characters. Having read Millicent Min, Girl Genius, I already know the basic story. I read the series to see it from the perspective of the other two characters, Stanford Wong and Emily Ebers. I’m usually less interested in stories about middle grade boys. But I got on well with Stanford Wong.

Lisa Yee tells the stories behind her middle grade characters. We’re privy to their relationships with friends, what’s happening in their middle grade world, and also their relationship with their families, teachers, coaches, and friends. Stanford struggles with friendships, self-worth, competition, loss, budding love, and family relationships.

Ms. Yee keeps up the suspense:  will Stanford fail summer school, which means he fails seventh grade and gets kicked off the basketball team, too? Then there’s the humiliation he feels about having Millicent tutor him in front of the new girl, Emily, plus the shame he feels from letting his father down. Ms. Yee wraps it all up for us in a neat package. This series is recommended for ‘tweens, middle grade students, school, and classroom libraries.

More information on Lisa Yee is at:   http://www.lisayee.com/

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Tags:

Lisa Yee, Stanford Wong, Millicent Min, Emily Ebers, middle grade, tween, children's books, flunking English, Basketball, family, mom, dad, grandmother