Book Review: Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet by Kirk Scroggs (Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A fun story with lots of laughs

Cons: One timing issue; must be familiar with Muppets to fully enjoy

The Bottom Line: 

Enjoy the Muppets?

Then you will enjoy this book

No matter your age

Danbers Undergoes a Muppetmorphosis

It was several months ago that I first heard of Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet.  Having become a Muppets fan in the last few years, I knew I'd wind up reading this book.  Who cares that it's aimed at elementary school kids, I had to know if it was any good.  I'm happy to report that it is fun.

Danvers Blickensderfer's life isn't all that great.  No one seems to understand his love of all things Muppet and especially Gonzo, and his brilliant daredevil acts.

One night, he goes to bed wishing to be just like Gonzo and he wakes up…a Muppet.  Soon, he starts seeing things from the show and meeting all of them.  How could this have happened?  How will it change his life?

Fans of the classic The Muppet Show will absolutely love this book.  Yes, it is aimed at a young audience, but there are so many jokes aimed at or related to the show and the characters that I was laughing out loud multiple times.  I will admit I wonder how the book would translate to those who aren't familiar with the show, but that's what TV on DVD is for, right?

The plot was pretty good.  Yes, it had one timing plot hole, but other than that it held together well, and kids probably won't notice it.  It's fantasy, but it fits completely in the Muppet universe.

There are quite a few characters in this book, and I felt like I got to know them well.  The Muppets were true to form, and the new ones were interesting.  Kids probably won't care, but they will enjoy them whether they think about it or not.

This book is perfect for reluctant readers or those transitioning from picture books to longer novels.  Every page has an illustration or picture of some kind.  Some are mostly text while some are mostly pictures.  These pictures help tell the story and are often funny in their own right.  The result is a book that reads very quickly.  Granted, I'm an adult, but I flew through it, and I'm sure kids will find the 230 pages very quick reading.

So I'm glad I picked up Tales of a Sixth-Grade Muppet.  Two sequels have already been published, and I'm already looking forward to reading them, too.