King of the Bench; No Fear

Reviewed by: Jan Hamilton - Little Dolphin School, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: November 4, 2017

Review

Steve introduces himself as a bench-warmer on the first page of this humorous middle age book. Readers need not feel sorry for our fledgling athlete as he has a strong self-image and knows his value. There are however many situations when he is scared of both the ball and larger players. Readers will laugh with Steve as he suffers embarrassment purchasing a cup in the sporting store, is teased by the top player, and has to sit beside the Coach Earwax on the team bus.

Full of silly pen and ink illustrations this is a great read for Wimpy Kid followers. The age of the readers will mostly be younger than the middle school characters but that leaves room for 11 and 12 year old reluctant readers. Add this to grade 3-5 school media centers and to public libraries. Gift to aspiring athletes who are not naturals but appreciate humor. This book has heart and humor.

Overall Book Score: very good