The Jelly Bean Experiment (Danny's Doodles #1)

Gr 1-3—Danny and his new neighbor, Calvin, must navigate Mrs. Cakel's strict fourth-grade class. Danny becomes the subject of the new boy's jellybean experiment. After devising a hypothesis and a control, Calvin fills Danny's pockets with the candy to see if it attracts friends. This experiment, his reluctance to socialize with classmates or play baseball, and his stories about his father "the spy," make Calvin an outcast. It is with Danny's help that Calvin learns to make friends. The doodles throughout the book are silly and engaging—providing a nice complement to the colorful characters. A great read for children who are ready for short chapter books, this title could also be used as an introduction to a unit on the scientific method.—Erica Thorsen Payne, Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, Charlottesville, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Adler again displays his versatility with this empathic first book in the Danny's Doodles illustrated chapter book series. Bighearted fourth-grader Danny Cohen cheerfully plays along when new kid Calvin Waffle makes him the subject of a mysterious experiment and fills Danny's pockets with jelly beans. Quirky and scientifically minded, Calvin wears two different socks because his right foot is "very serious," the left "often silly," and he answers, "Tallahassee is the capital of Florida" in response to a math problem. "I didn't hear the question," he explains. "And most teachers like capitals and everyone loves Florida." Adler also tempers the story's humor with some poignant moments: Calvin says his father is a traveling spy when he has actually abandoned the family, and the jelly bean experiment is really about making friends. Squiggly cartoon line drawings (mostly character portraits) that appear throughout are purportedly Danny's work; they look authentically kid-like but add little to the story. The novel delivers laughs as well as a clear message about friendship and acceptance, even when one's friend is "100% weird." Ages 7-up. Agent: Jodi Reamer, Writers House. (Sept.)

Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Award-winning nonfiction author and creator of Cam Jansen, Adler starts a new series of gently humorous stories aimed at those just starting chapter books. The first-person narration, realistic characters and occasional line-drawing "doodles" will keep pages turning. Young readers will easily see themselves in Danny and his compatriots.
" - Kirkus