Clever Trevor is about a group of friends on a playground. Trevor is among the group. They are playing basketball when a group of bullies come their way and take over the court. In addition to taking over the court, they also steal their ball. Saddened by always having to give their spot up to the bullies, Trevor’s friends are discouraged. Trevor brainstorms and after learning about levers from his sister, he hatches the perfect plan. The next time the group arrives to the playground and the bullies show up, Trevor and his gang are prepared.
I liked this book. The illustrations in this remind me of the old show, “Hey Arnold”. I enjoyed how each page had a picture that was a representation of what happened.
This book would be good for any age group. However, the younger children may like it more. I could teach the children about treating others with kindness and to not underestimate a person’s capabilities.
Trevor wants to figure out a way to make the bullies look like they aren't so strong. He learns about the concept of levers and is able to figure out a way where the bullies can't lift him up on a seesaw. This can be used when introducing levers, but I feel like the concept is not presented as clearly as it could have been.
Bullies land on the playground that Trevor and his friends hang out on, initially they get kicked off by the bigger kids, but eventually Trevor uses science to beat the bullies at their own game. I really liked this story because it hit on to a major issue, bullies and also incorporated science into the solution, and problem solving skills. I would suggest this book for K-3.
Introduction to a beginning science concept (levers) and using creative thinking to resolve a bullying situation. Both ideas in one put was a little too much message for my taste.