CYBILS ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE GRADE SPEC FICTION REVIEW : Carnival Catastrophe (The Problim Children #2) by Natalie Lloyd
ABOUT THE BOOK
The Problims try to win the Corn Dog Carnival and rescue their missing mama in the second book in The Problim Children series.
All siblings are capable of magic if they stick together. But trusting each other isn’t easy for the Problim siblings when neighbors like Desdemona and Carly-Rue O’Pinion are working double-time to turn the town against them.
From catapulting cattle to runaway corndogs to spiders on the pageant stage, the Problim brothers and sisters are blamed for every catastrophe at this year’s carnival. And to top it all off, Mama Problim is missing!
Can the seven siblings come together in time to save the carnival and rescue their mom from a villain even more dastardly than Desdemona? Or will they discover too late what it truly means to be a Problim?
All siblings are capable of magic if they stick together. But trusting each other isn’t easy for the Problim siblings when neighbors like Desdemona and Carly-Rue O’Pinion are working double-time to turn the town against them.
From catapulting cattle to runaway corndogs to spiders on the pageant stage, the Problim brothers and sisters are blamed for every catastrophe at this year’s carnival. And to top it all off, Mama Problim is missing!
Can the seven siblings come together in time to save the carnival and rescue their mom from a villain even more dastardly than Desdemona? Or will they discover too late what it truly means to be a Problim?
REVIEW
Not having read the first book in the Problim Children series, I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up Carnival Catastrophe. I ended up liking it enough that I will most likely read the 1st and 3rd volumes in the series. While I could have done without Toot's constant tooting (his form of communicating his feelings), it adds to the quirkiness of the Problim family. It took me a few chapters to get all seven of the Problim children figured out, but once I did, I enjoyed reading about each of them and their uniqueness. The Problim family faces some rather difficult circumstances. While their father has returned home, saving them from being separated and sent to seven different continents (1st book), their mother is still missing. Mona, especially, is eager to rescue her mother. The Problim children use their rather unique talents to discover twigs that together will lead them to what remains of the fountain of youth, but can they get there before their enemies? And can they find and rescue their mother along the way. In addition to the main story line involving finding a way to the island where the fountain of youth supposedly lies, Mona also discovers that her bluntness sometimes leads her to do cruel things and maybe she doesn't need to behave that way in order to be loved. This is a good series for young readers who like a strong dose of quirkiness mixed in with their stories of super-powered characters.
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