School Library Journal Review

Gr 2-5-Sam and his best friends Bernard and Zoe vow to face down even the fiercest of sharks on their school field trip to the aquarium so bullies like Ralph will not have any excuse to tease them. But how could Sam have known that an extremely scary shark named "Crazy Charlie" would try to attack him through the glass tank? Once again, Sam and his friends must prove themselves or lose face. The latest challenge is to attend Ralph and Regina's birthday party at the beach despite obstacles like Sam's newly intensified fear of sharks, and the fact that Bernard cannot swim. Of course, in the end, Sam proves that he can be a hero by facing his fears. Following the enjoyable Sam Wu Is Not Afraid of Ghosts, the funny plots and schemes also offer a realistic depiction of growing up as a Chinese American kid. VERDICT An engaging and authentic underdog tale that fans of Mark Parisi's "Marty Pants" and Lenore Look's "Alvin Ho" series will enjoy.-Tara Kehoe, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Charlotte, NC © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.