Robert and the Practical Jokes

Rubber snakes. Plastic vomit. Shrunken heads. Robert Dorfman’s third grade classroom has become the arena for a boys-versus-girls practical jokes competition. As each side tries to outdo the other, the pranks become increasingly gross. But Robert isn’t convinced girls are all bad — until the new girl, Lucy, tricks him into eating something really disgusting. Robert is less than thrilled, then, when he learns he’ll be attending a wedding reception that involves dancing. With a girl. Still, he’s determined to learn how to dance. The paper footprints he’s taped to the floor as guides work great — until his big brother Charlie decides to play a trick on him.

Barbara Seuling understands that seemingly minor incidents can loom large in a child’s life, and Robert’s struggles with the opposite sex and his game attempts to deal with the pranks are funny and believable. Paul Brewer’s quirky black-and-white drawings enhance the book’s comic appeal.