Monday/Tuesday's Topic: Book Talk-Alvin Ho Duo

Recently I had the opportunity to read the two Alvin Ho books by Lenore Look. This is a charming and humorous series for children in grades 2-3. Lenore's portrayal of a fearful and shy Chinese-American second grader, Alvin is terrific! Alvin is like any other 2nd grade boy. He loves gross things, superheroes, magic and baseball, except he has a lot of phobias. Through the support of his father and later of his newfound friend, he starts to learn to overcome some of the phobias.

The first book focuses on Alvin's experiences on navigating 2nd grade. He's scared of teachers, other kids (especially girls) and talking in class. Lenore Look uses humor and family relationships to explain Alvin's situations. Without any spoilers, look for the funny episodes that Alvin encounters in school. I also appreciate Lenore Look's thoughtful portrayal of children who may be considered different, like Alvin and Flea.

The second book focuses on Alvin's adventures camping. Alvin's father thinks its time to introduce Alvin to the joys of camping. But Alvin sees the camping experience as a host to a myriad of dangers and disasters. He's afraid of the animals, the weather and getting hurt. Through the support of his family,  Alvin learns to overcome some of his fears. There are also some humorous episodes in here in Alvin's camping adventures that readers will enjoy. This book has many of the same qualities of the first book, however I enjoyed the first one better.