Synopses & Reviews
Eight-year-old EllRay is down to one-and-a-half best friends, which leads his little sister to point out the obvious: he needs new friends. A spare, at least. For emergencies. So EllRay decides to audition other boys for the role of Spare Best Friend.
EllRayand#8217;s class is brimming with possibilities, but no one seems to share his exact interests. Whatand#8217;s so great about car parts? And why would anyone think boring instruction manuals are fun to read? But EllRay isnand#8217;t worriedand#151;he can fix any problems once he gets to know each kid. And the only way to get to know them is to come up with fun things to do at recess. When heand#8217;s the Recess King, everyone will want to be his friend!
Review
-Warner is a dead-on observer of playground politics, and has a great ear for dialogue.+ -
School Library JournalReview
Praise for EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank by Sally Warner:
"The EllRay Jakes stories are just right for his real-life peers; short enough to be read by kids getting comfortable with chapter books and also enjoyable and authentic." —Kirkus
Review
PRAISE FOR THE ELLRAY JAKES
Synopsis
Eight-year-old EllRay Jakes is sick of getting picked on. But every time he tries to defend himself against class bully Jared Matthews, EllRay is the one who winds up in trouble. It's just not fair! Then his dad offers him a deal: If EllRay can stay out of trouble for a week, they'll go to Disneyland! But being good for one whole week is not so easy. . . .
This humorous and true-to-life story kicks off the EllRay series, which is just right for boys (and girls!) who are beginning to read chapter books.
Synopsis
Emma McGraw is good at many things. She?s good at science. She?s good at being a friend. But is she good enough to make her father proud? Suddenly she?s not so sure. Her father and stepmother?s niece has just won a big prize for horseback riding. How will Emma ever measure up? Before long, she has a plan. Winter Games Day is coming up at school and if Emma trains really hard, she?s sure to win her own prize?maybe even more than one! But once the games begin, Emma starts to see that being an excellent athlete isn?t the same as being an excellent daughter.
Synopsis
Eight-year-old Emma McGraw is an only child who lives with her mom in their "cozy" condo. When four-year-old Anthony Scarpetto moves in for a week while his parents are away, Emma is not happy. He's loud, he smells, and he touches her stuff. And that's only half of it! Emma has started at a new school, and has finally begun to make friends. But how can she invite anyone over when annoying Anthony is there? Emma is in for a surprise, though. As the week goes by, she starts to realize that having a "little brother" may not be as bad as she thought.
Synopsis
EllRay Jakes is tired of being bullied by fellow classmate Jared Matthews. But when EllRay tries to defend himself, he winds up in trouble. Then his dad offers him a deal: If he stays out of trouble for one week, they'll go to Disneyland! EllRay says he can do it. But saying it and doing it are two very different things.
Synopsis
It's time for the end of year parent-teacher conference, and Hank's in a panic. He's afraid that his teacher is going to tell his parents that he has to repeat the fourth grade. So Hank creates an elaborate scheme to have his parents win an out-of-town trip so they're gone during the conference days. Of course, the plan backfires. Will Hank have to stay in fourth grade forever?
Synopsis
All the boys in EllRay's third-grade class have something they can brag about. Corey's on the swim team, Kevin is super tall, Jared's dad has an ATV. But EllRay's dad is a geologist - not much to brag about. After all, rocks are boring. Then EllRay sees the crystals in his dad's office, and they are really cool looking. If EllRay just "borrows" them to show his classmates, he knows they'd be impressed. And his dad will never have to know. It's a perfect plan . . . until things go awry.
Synopsis
Dead goldfish + bossy girls = big trouble!
Things are going just swimmingly for EllRay. He's getting along with most of the kids at school. He's even getting along with his family. But then everything comes screeching to a halt when his younger sister accidently overfeeds Zippy, the classroom goldfish that EllRay was taking care of over spring vacation. Zippy is a goner. What is EllRay going to tell the kids in his third-grade class? Fortunately, most of them are sympathetic. But not bossy Cynthia. She sees this as an opportunity to blame Ell- Ray for her own mess-ups. Must EllRay now walk the plank for stuff that he didn't do?
Synopsis
Emma McGraw's third-grade class is getting ready for Winter Games Day, and Emma wants to win a prize more than anything. It would be the perfect way to make her father proud. But the rest of the class has mixed feelings about Winter Games Day. Jared is desperate to be the fastest runner and the farthest jumper, Fiona is worried about her weak ankles, and Annie Pat doesn't seem to care at all. When the big day arrives, nothing goes exactly as planned, but Emma is still determined to be as excellent as she can be.
Synopsis
EllRay Jakes is a small kid with big problems! EllRay Jakes may be the smallest kid in his class at Oak Glen Primary School, but he’s also his sister Alfie’s big brother. So when it looks like Alfie is being bossed around by a dragon-like girl at her school, EllRay feels responsible. As her older (and wiser!) brother, shouldn’t he show her that she should stand up for herself? But little sisters and four year old dragons are a bit more complicated than he thought. . . .
Check out the other books in the EllRay Jakes series: EllRay Jakes Is Not A Chicken!, EllRay Jakes is a Rock Star!, and EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank!
Synopsis
EllRay Jakes is a small kidand#160;with big problems! EllRay Jakes may be the smallest kid in his class at Oak Glen Primary School, but heandrsquo;s also his sister Alfieandrsquo;s big brother. So when it looks like Alfie is being bossed around by a dragon-like girl at her school, EllRay feels responsible. As her older (and wiser!) brother, shouldnandrsquo;t he show her that she should stand up for herself?and#160;But little sisters and four year old dragons are a bit more complicated than he thought. . . .and#160;
Check out the other books in the EllRay Jakes series: EllRay Jakes Is Not A Chicken!, EllRay Jakes is a Rock Star!, and EllRay Jakes Walks the Plank!
About the Author
Henry Winkler is an acomplished actor, producer and director. In 2003, Henry added author to his list of acheivements as he co-authored a series of children's books. Inspired by the true life experiences of Henry Winkler, whose undiagnosed dyslexia made him a classic childhood underachiever, the Hank Zipzer series is about the high-spirited and funny adventures of a boy with learning differences.
Henry is married to Stacey Weitzman and they have three children.
Lin Oliver is a writer and producer of movies, books, and television series for children and families. She has created over one hundred episodes of television, four movies, and seven books. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Alan. They have three sons named Theo, Ollie, and Cole, one fluffy dog named Annie, and no iguanas.