Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Leonard and the Spurwink Gang are back in this diverting romp by the creators of New Kid on Spurwink Ave. Here an argument threatens to split the coed group as the kids fight about appropriate gender roles (“Cooking is for sissy-girls,” proclaims one male member). But in the end, the gang is reunited, as tomboy T-Ball saves the day by beating the rival Broad Cove Bullies in a bicycle race. The text’s modest charm lies in its deliciously silly tough-guy dialogue, with such memorable lines as “Aw, buncha tea bags” and “Aaaaay, Winkies!” The plot, however, with its tendency to tell rather than show, is less satisfying. Although the decisive bike contest is given a tremendous buildup, readers never get to see it: T-Ball’s victory is disposed of with a single sentence in the tale’s somewhat bland ending. Spurwink fans may wish, too, for a bigger role for Leonard; the engaging nerd has little to do here beyond uttering his trademark line, “Naw, Man.” Carter’s big, splashy watercolors, in vibrant blues, greens and yellows, effectively convey the gang’s manic energy through their use of wriggling lines and abrupt shifts in perspective. Ages 5-8.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3– In this sequel to New Kid on Spurwink Avenue (Little, 1992), the Spurwink Gang becomes embroiled in the battle of the sexes after Crater claims that “cooking is for sissy girls.” Those are fighting words, and the neighborhood kids split into “his” and “hers” camps. Crater remains adamant that “girls are useless” until local bullies challenge the group to a bike race. Of course, the Spurwink gang’s fastest racer is T-Ball–the female fireball. Suddenly, girls seem very appealing, and eating crow is quite palatable. Despite the entertaining theme and plot, the book never rises above mediocrity. The text is marred by awkward sentence structure. Dialogue is forced, sounding more like adults imitating children than genuine children’s voices. The cartoon line-and-wash illustrations are bright and lively, depicting the unlimited energy of childhood. Yet, they, too, seem exaggerated to the point of being garish, and all of the kids look alike. Not a worthwhile purchase. –Heide Piehler, Shorewood Public Library, WI
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
The crew that made friends with The New Kid on Spurwink Ave. (1992) is back with another story exploring the gap between supposition and reality. This time, after Crater makes a tactless remark about “sissy-girls,” the gang splits up. But when the Broad Cove Bullies accost the three boys, tease them about their association with the four girls, and challenge them to a race (“your gang’s fastest rider against ours…Losers wash winners’ bikes”), truth strikes: only T-Ball has a chance of winning, and she’s still miffed. Still, her own loyalty and the boys’ belated diplomacy help her come around in time to win. The kids are amusingly characterized in Carter’s energetic, freely rendered watercolors; their lively dialogue is the book’s strongest suit. Fine for reading aloud or alone, a story that’s entertaining enough to carry its rather obvious message. (Picture book. 5-8) — Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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