A Book Review

The Worst Kid Who Ever Lived on Eighth Avenue by Laurie Lawlor Reading level: 4-8 Buy it Now

The Worst Kid Who Ever Lived on Eighth Avenue
by Laurie Lawlor
Reading level: 4-8

We've all heard the tales, the tales of that one kid. The one who was so naughty, so bad, that he was dubbed "the worst kid who ever lived" in your neighborhood. Well, Leroy, now an adult, was that kid in Mary Lou's neighborhood.

Mary Lou and her friends share their theories of how Leroy is probably in prison now, or perhaps has joined the army. Later, Mary Lou and her friends see the now grown Leroy suspiciously burying a bag in the backyard of his parent's house. Suspecting wrong doing and unlawful acts, they put on their investigator caps and begin collecting clues.

The children find different clues, and draw all the wrong conclusions, assuming that Leroy has committed a hideous crime. They soon find out that Leroy, now a fire marshall who trains tracking dogs, had put his faithful old dog to rest in the backyard. After talking to Leroy, and taking the time to get to know him, the children realize that they were wrong about Leroy and that he had grown to be a responsible, caring adult. Leroy was no longer the worst kid who ever lived on Eighth Avenue.

This story teaches a valuable lesson about jumping to conclusions and judging a book by its cover. It's possible that some children may be upset by the fact that there is mention of the death of a pet dog, but that is overshadowed by the presence of a new puppy that Leroy will begin to train. Large print and easy words make this a great book for beginner readers.

© Amanda Formaro

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