Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel

Cheesie Mack #2

by Steve Cotler, Adam McCauley (Illustrations)

Cheesie and Georgie are back, and this time they're off to the greatest summer camp in Maine. As the oldest of the Little Guy campers, they'll get to make the campfires and choose the sports teams. It's sure to be their best summer yet!

Then disaster strikes. Cheesie and Georgie are put in a cabin with the Big Guy campers, including Cheesie's archenemy, Kevin Welch. Now the youngest—and smallest—of the Big Guys, Cheesie has no choice but to use his brains to fight Kevin's brawn—he challenges the bully to a Cool Duel. The adventure that follows includes a toilet on a wall, a headless skateboarder, a garter snake mustache, and the scariest ghost story ever told. Will Cheesie survive to start middle school?

With plenty of lists, drawings, and made-up words, Cheesie—with a little help from Steve Cotler—tells the story of the best worst summer ever.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Juvenile, Humor

240 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2012

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheesie Mack is Cool in a Duel
by Steve Cotler
Random House Books For Young Readers
available June 26,2012
received from NetGalley for review


Cheesie and his sidekick Georgie are back! This time they are in summer camp in Maine, the best camp in the world! The boys are supposed to have the best summer of their young lives. They are scheduled to be the oldest kids in the Little Guy cabin at camp. Well, guess what? It doesn't happen that way. Through chance they end up the youngest kids in the Big Guy camp. Imagine being the only 11 year olds among a bunch of 13 year old boys...Yea, not too much fun. Between the teasing and bullying, it's not turning out to be such a great summer for Cheesie and Georgie. Cheesie decides to challenge Kevin, one of the big kids, to a 'cool duel'. Now, incidentally, Kevin is the boyfriend of Cheesie's older tweenage sister June, also known as Goon.


Cheesie must rely on his wits to win the 'cool duel' contest.


Steve Cotler has done it again! (This is Cheesie's second great adventure). The book is written in the form of a diary from the viewpoint of Cheesie himself. Mr. Cotler has the unique ability to teach young readers to learn. He uses real and made up words with kid friendly definitions, as well as tidbits about history and other interesting facts.


I loved Cheesie's interactions with his older sister Goon. I enjoyed reading about the 'points battle' between the two. This book is full of laughter and learning. Don't forget to visit Cheesie online at CheesieMack.com


Target audience is tween boys. If you liked the "Wimpy Kids" books, you should like Cheesie Mack.

[Jonathan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book aloud to my class because we had the author come to our school and I felt like it would be a good way to excite them about his visit. Having already read the first one and not finding it all that spectacular I knew there was no way I could stomach re-reading it so I choose to read the second one in the series. The quality of writing is horrible. It drives me nuts how it jumps around so much and the author tries way too hard to make it sound like it is being written by a kid. Bottom line is I have third graders who could write better then the eighth grader that was supposed to be the writer, aka Cheesie. Here is the thing that threw this book over the edge completely. There is some humor in the book and I pictured this laid back, funny, goofy author coming and speaking to our kids. Instead in walks this cranky, crotchety old man who did nothing but yell at the kids and constantly talk down to them. From that point on it was hard for me to read this book and not picture this grump of an author. Honestly I think the kids felt the same way, because their reactions to the book greatly changed after his boooooring presentation. I don't want this review to be a bash of the author, but I feel like if you're writing for kids you need to be able to relate to them better and it shows in the book as well. It felt like the book was trying too hard to make you laugh and after meeting Steve Cotler I understand why.

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun summer read. Sure the plot zips back and forth, but I find that to be how many kid's thoughts run. Stay too long in one place and you will lose them. I enjoy that Cheesie does not give up. Even when put in a bad situation by being placed in a camp cabin with bullying Kevin, he hangs in there and finds a way to meet the challenge. I especially liked the way he found a way to save face for Kevin when he lost the vote in the Cool Duel, but Cheesie realized that he really had done some really cool things and the contest should be a draw. That takes some character.
I do not find the references to: look it up on my website or comment on my website to be distracting. I would want my kids to do that. Engage with a book and enjoy the ways that are open to do more with the technology available. Yes, it is not Treasure Island, but no one claimed it is. Just enjoy the adventure and silliness of being a boy of 11. Don't tell me you wish you would have thought of some the stuff he does.

[Kyle Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel, by Steve Cotler, is a bout a boy named Ronald Mack but all his friends call him cheesie mack. Cheesie and his friend Georgie are really excited to go to there favorite camp this year because they are going to be the oldest of the youngest kids at camp. But when they get there, there is a problem. The younger cabins are full. They are stuck with the older kids. They look at who is in their cabin and they find out that they are with Kevin, Cheesie's worst enemy. Kevin bullies Cheesie so eventually, Cheesie challenges him to a cool duel. By the end of seven days, whoever has done the coolest thing, wins. The punishment is at the flag raising ceremony, the loser has to stand up say "(winners name) is the coolest kid in camp." then they have to bow down to the winner.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's official I'm in Love with Cheesie Mack, not in the creepy way! He's smart, funny, and super cool! For a ten/eleven year old he manages to have the craziest first week of summer camp ever written and published. He thinks on his feet and is not afraid to stand up to the Big Guys.

As much as I enjoyed his first story Cheesie shines with this sophomore novel. He keeps his lists, his large and sometimes made up vocabulary, and never lets his imagination take too much away from the story at hand, only sidebar it occasionally.

Can't wait to see what is in store for Cheesie's and Georgie's next great adventure, this time at middle school.

[Karen Arendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesie Mack gets more creative and entertaining in Cheesie Mack is Cool in a Duel. Despite being bullied by his sister's boyfriend, Kevin,during summer camp, Cheesie sees this as an opportunity for Cheesie to become the coolest dude at camp. Cheese narrates his story after summer camp ends which allows him to backtrack the story or add foreshadowing. An entertaining read that is intelligent, humorous, and spot on for children today. Recommend this title to kids who are ready to move beyond Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheesie and Georgie are back for another adventure. This summer they are heading off to summer camp in Maine. They will be the oldest kids in the Little Guys cabin. And they are looking forward to it. They’ll get to make the campfires and even choose the teams. But what they don’t know is that they will be put in the Big Guys cabin. So now they are the youngest and are picked on. And Cheesie’s biggest bully is in the cabin too. How is he going to get out of this one?

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so nice to be able to read a book with my seven year old son that has male characters I wouldn't mind him having as friends. The Cheesie Mack books fit that bill. Pretty wholesome adventures, tackling right & wrong, dealing with peer pressure and having adults that are there in support, but aren't running the plot. I highly recommend both books!

[Andria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this one a three and a half star rating if I could. It was better than most realistic fiction that I have been reading lately but not good enough to truly draw me into the story. This would be good for those kids who love diary of a wimpy kid. This story had many twists and turns for plot development and the boy versus girl point battle might draw in some readers.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great summer read for the upper elementary school crowd! Check out my full review at http://knightreader.wordpress.com/201....

[Luca · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was really good, I especially liked the comedy pieces in i. The mooshy stuff, not so much.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Made my students laugh!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was good because the plot was unexpected with lots of twists and turns. I also liked it because it was unique.

[Evan]

really bad