Book Review: Clash of the Class Clowns by Kirk Scroggs (Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Well executed fast moving story with lots of laughs

Cons: Pepe’s dialogue got in my nerves fast, okay?

The Bottom Line:

Fast moving story

With trademark Muppet humor

Perfect for your kids

Muppet Jealousy All Around

Even for me, the Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet series is a very light read.  There are plenty of pictures that help tell the story in addition to the text, making this a fun book for reluctant readers.  And yet, both of the books I’ve read so far have been charming.  I’m certainly glad I picked up Clash of the Class Clowns.

Ever since Danvers Blickensderfer became a Muppet, his life has been pretty sweet.  He gets to intern with his idols and work closely with Gonzo, his biggest idol.  But annoyance comes in the form of his little sister Chloe who steals the show when Miss Piggy has an accident during the Kid’s Pick Awards, a development that Miss Piggy finds infuriating

When Chloe becomes famous and gets her own reality show as a result, Danvers is frustrated.  But then a new kid, Phips, starts at his school.  This new guy is pretty witty, but the object of his wit is always Danvers and his friends.  Can Danvers figure out a way to put this new class clown in his place?

As I already said, this was a very fast read.  I read all 222 pages in less than two hours.  Hardly a page goes by without a picture of some kind.  Between Danford’s drawings and the “real” illustrations, there is plenty to look at.  Yet these illustrations often have the best gags and laughs in them, usually with the real Muppets offering something funny.

I’ve given the simplified version of the plot which involves many more sub-plots which all come together for the climax.  And yet even with all the balls being juggled, nothing gets dropped.  It’s amazing how it all holds together, in fact.

The characters are light but fun.  We care about them, which is all that really matters.  Well that and the Muppets are true to themselves.  It’s easy to laugh at them because you know that’s exactly how they’d behave.

Which brings us to my main complaint with this book, okay?  Pepe, the crab, plays a big roll in this book, and his constant need to end a sentence with okay, is very annoying.  By the end of the book, it was really grating on my nerves.  Hopefully, that isn’t an issue going forward.

Because I love the Muppets, I couldn’t pass this book up, and I’m glad I read Clash of the Class Clowns.  Kids who are still struggling to read will enjoy the fast pace and wit of the book as well.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.  Follow the link to read the other entries.