Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things Karen Coats Look, Lenore; Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things; illus. by LeUyen Pham. Schwartz & Wade, 2008; 172p Library ed. ISBN 978-0-375-93914-3 $18.99 Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-375-83914-6 $15.99 R Gr. 2–4 If Ruby Lu is brave and true (Ruby Lu, Brave and True, BCCB 4/04), Alvin Ho is her polar opposite in every way, except in his ability to generate laughs. Alvin is a boy, he lives in Concord, Massachusetts, and he’s afraid of just about everything, despite being descended from a long line of Chinese farmer-warriors. He carries his Personal Disaster Kit with him to school, where he can’t manage to speak a single word. Alvin’s year consists of a series of hilarious and quirky mishaps mostly brought about by his “so-so performance anxiety disorder.” From trashing his dad’s favorite vintage toy to abusing his therapist with a vault of Shakespearean curses, Alvin moves in fits and starts on his quest to be a gentleman like his dad, even if the rules are hard to remember. For all of his disaster preparedness, he is unable to predict where the real social dangers lie; his naïveté is the greatest source of the humor here, as even young readers will be able to predict outcomes that are likely to result from his funny mistakes. A glossary offers kid-friendly explanations of the various historical figures and Chinese terms that might have left some readers wondering. Antic black-and-white art reminiscent of Lat’s style (Kampung Boy, BCCB 1/07) scaffolds the reading and adds humor and energy to an already funny and frenetic text. Fans of Ruby Lu will love this, as will Captain Underpants devotees. [End Page 32] Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois