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Summary
Author Notes
Megan McDonald was born February 28, 1959, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She grew up in the 1960s the youngest of five girls - which later became the inspiration of the Sister's Club. She attended Oberlin College and received a B.A. in English, then she went on to receive a Library Science degree at Pittsburgh University in 1986. Before becoming a full-time writer, McDonald had a variety of jobs working in libraries, bookstores, museums, and even as a park ranger.She was children's librarian, working at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, Minneapolis Public Library and Adams Memorial Library in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. She has received various awards for her storytelling including a Judy Blume Contemporary Fiction Award, a Children's Choice Book award, and a Keystone State Award among others. McDonald has also written many picture books for younger children and continues to write. Her most recent work was the "Julie Albright" series of books for the American public. She currently resides in Sebastopol, California with her husband and pets.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (2)
School Library Journal Review
K-Gr 2-Judy Moody's little brother, James (aka Stink), is the shining star of this dramatic production of Megan McDonald's beginning chapter book (Candlewick, 2005). Stink's perception that he is shorter than the average second grader is reinforced by his sister, Judy, who revels in every opportunity for sibling rivalry. While the story line centers around Stink's height problem, it also embraces humor and provides plenty of facts to make the story believable. When President's Day arrives, for example, Stink presents a brief report on the shortest president, James Madison. McDonald's humor-infused story is full of puns (the classroom "newt in shining armor" meets his untimely end in the garbage disposal while under Stink's care for the weekend) that will keep listeners glued to their headphones. Unique voice talent is provided by Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of television's Bart Simpson. Her timing is impeccable and her voicing is playful, adding a new dimension to this already compelling story. Appropriate for group or individual listening, this title will be especially appreciated by emergent readers.-Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie Public Library, WI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This spirited launch of a new series focuses on Judy Moody's younger brother, Stink. But Judy's fans will be pleased that she plays a pivotal role here. Each day she pulls out a tape measure to learn whether Stink-the shortest kid in his second-grade class at 3' 8"-has finally grown. After one such session reveals that her brother has shrunk, Judy suggests he apply gel to make his hair stick up so he'll look taller, which turns his locks bright orange. The lad believes his luck is changing when the teacher draws his name to care for the class pet, a newt, for a weekend. Alas, another of Judy's attempts to help results in calamity: when the two are cleaning the newt's cage, the pet disappears down the kitchen sink and Judy accidentally flips the switch for the garbage disposal. Yet the quick-thinking girl assures Stink that the creature likely slipped down the pipes to safety ("Think of it like Stuart Little. He's probably sailing down the river right now on a raft, having a big, fat, newt adventure"). For a President's Day assignment, Stink eschews Washington and Lincoln to write about James Madison, the "shortest president ever" (his family shows their support by throwing the boy a James Madison Day party). "The Adventures of Stink," silly comic strips hand-drawn by the boy and positing him in various superhero roles, add little to the plot but may well attract reluctant readers. McDonald's breezy narrative and likable characters will keep Judy's followers amply amused and recruit new fans. Ages 5-8. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Excerpts
Excerpts
The bell rang, and Mrs. Dempster passed out spelling words. Three of the new words were shrink, shrank, shrunk. At lunch, the dessert was strawberry shortcake. And in Reading, Mrs. Dempster read everybody a book called THE SHRINKING OF TREEHORN. The book was all about a boy who plays games and reads cereal boxes and gets shorter and shorter. He keeps shrinking and shrinking. Then, just when he becomes a normal size again, he turns green! "Any comments?" Mrs. Dempster asked when the story was over. Stink raised his hand. "Is that a true story?" Mrs. D. laughed. "I'm afraid not," she said. "It's fantasy." "Fantasy's my favorite!" said Sophie of the Elves. "Especially hobbits and elves." "Are you sure it's fantasy?" asked Stink. "Because that kid is a lot like me. Because I'm . . . I'm . . ." Stink could not make himself say shrinking. "Because you both turned another color?" asked Webster. "Um, because I like to read everything on the cereal box, too," said Stink. "Okay," said Mrs. Dempster. "Let's see. Who's going to carry the milk from the cafeteria today?" Stink was barely paying attention. He never got asked to carry the milk. "How about Mr. James Moody?" asked Mrs. Dempster. "Me?" asked Stink. He sat up taller. "I get to carry the milk?" Stink walked down the second-grade hallway. It looked longer than usual. And wider. He took the stairs down to the cafeteria. Were there always this many stairs? His legs felt shorter. Like they shrink, shrank, shrunk. ________________________ STINK: THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING KID by Megan McDonald. Copyright (c) 2005 by Megan McDonald. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA. Excerpted from The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.