Clementine and the Family Meeting

August 1, 2011

Gr 2-4-Clementine's fifth adventure for early chapter-book readers addresses a topic many children can relate to. The third-grader's parents call a family meeting to announce that a new baby is on the way. Clementine's reaction to the news is realistic-she says "No thanks!" She argues that four is the perfect number for a family, for reasons as varied as there are four sides to a puzzle to the fact that hot dogs come in packages of eight, so a family of four can have two each. Her parents are a little surprised by her reaction but take the time to try to understand how she is feeling and demonstrate how special she is to them. Through some humorous conversations with her friends, grandparents, and teacher, Clementine changes her perspective on the situation. This is a solid entry in the series, and it will surely keep readers wanting more.-Amy Commers, South St. Paul Public Library, MN

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 15, 2011

Clementine has had many not-so-good days. But this one just might be the worst.

She loses her favorite hat, her science project is ruined and the "family meeting!" sign is up on the refrigerator—that's never a good thing. Even though family meetings are supposed to be about family issues, Clementine usually ends up getting in trouble. But this one is different. Clementine's dad announces that their family is going to grow. Are they are getting a gorilla, like Clementine has always wanted?! No. It's a new baby. Clementine is N-O-T, not happy. They are a family of four. Four is a perfect number. In infallible Clementine reasoning: "Four can be two and two sometimes, and nobody is lonely. Two kids and two grown-ups. Two boys and two girls. There are four sides to the kitchen table, so we each get one." Five just doesn't work. Pennypacker tackles the oft-written new-baby theme from a refreshing, older perspective; jealousy is not the foremost emotion, it's vulnerability. Everything is changing too fast. Clementine and her dad have always had a unique bond, but in this venture, he especially shines. He picks up on unspoken feelings and knows just how to give the right amount of comfort.

Filled with familiar Clementine charm but, more importantly, a whole lot of heart, too. (Fiction. 7-10)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

July 1, 2011
Grades 2-4 Something is always up with third-grader Clementine. Here, it's her worries about a family meeting and the disappearance of the rat she and her friend Waylon are using in a science experiment. The mystery of the family meeting is solved early onthere's a new baby on the way. Unraveling her feelings about this event takes up most of the book. The whereabouts of the rat is also resolved, though in a way some readers might see coming. This entry in the popular, ongoing series is once again illustrated by Frazee's delightful pictures.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

September 1, 2011
Clementine knows that a family meeting means trouble, and when her mother won't give her an advance peek at the agenda, Clementine is really worried. Is she smiling enough? Being nice to her brother? Using her best manners? Nothing can prepare our heroine for the bombshell her parents drop: there will be a new baby in the house. Clementine's reaction is less than enthusiastic. "Our family is four. There are four sides to a puzzle so we can all work on it at once...Four is the perfect number for a family!" Clementine's friends are changing, too. Margaret has become a "makeup fiend," and Waylon, her science class buddy, is suddenly obsessed with his self-professed superpowers. Even Eighteen, the rat who was supposed to be the star of their science project, has run away. Clementine's father reassures her by admitting that he understands her ambivalence about the new baby. And when Clementine calls a family meeting of her own, readers will see how much she has matured in just a few years...and can imagine what a great big sister she will make. Clementine is becoming a more complex character, and fans of this fine series will enjoy the nuanced way she has become more trustworthy and grown-up while staying true to herself. robin l. smith

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2012
Clementine knows that a family meeting means trouble. She's unprepared for her parents' bombshell--a new baby--and her reaction is less than enthusiastic ("Four is the perfect number for a family!"). Clementine is becoming a more complex character, and fans of this fine series will enjoy the nuanced way she has become more trustworthy and grown-up while staying true to herself.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)