Quinny & Hopper

Quinny & Hopper #1

by Adriana Brad Schanen, Greg Swearingen (Illustrations)

Quinny has a lot to say. Hopper gets to the point.

Quinny has one speed: very, very, extra-very fast. Hopper proceeds with caution.

Quinny has big ideas. Hopper has smart solutions.

Quinny and Hopper couldn't be more different. They are an unstoppable team.

But when summer ends, things suddenly aren't the same. Can Quinny and Hopper stick together in the face of stylish bullies, a killer chicken, and the brand-new Third Grade Rules-especially the one that says they aren't allowed to be friends anymore?

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

240 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2014

About the author

Adriana Brad Schanen was born in Romania, raised in Chicago, and now lives just outside New York City with her husband, two daughters and a shaggy 60-pound lap dog named Oliver. She can usually be found in her attic study writing books for kids and teens or the occasional screenplay. Her debut early middle-grade novel, QUINNY & HOPPER, won the 2016 Beverly Cleary Children's Choice Book Award, has been named to several state reading lists, and was nominated for the 2015-16 TLA Bluebonnet Award. A sequel, Q&H: PARTNERS IN SLIME, is now available, with a 3rd title in the series, Q&H: SMART COOKIES, forthcoming in 2018. Visit her at www.adrianabradschanen.com.

Reviews

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the truly different alternating voices of our titular characters, and I'm pretty sure Quinny's interior monologue is exactly like mine. The illustrations are great, too. I love this book more than a backpack that's orange with green dots, or one that's green with orange dots.

[Brooke Beeson-King · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one aloud to my 8yo because of the length. Some parts were so funny that we had to read them over and over. (Who doesn't think booger chips are funny?) This is a "very, very, extra-very" sweet book about friendship and being your true self.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outgoing new girl (very Junie B Jones-like) meets quiet, nearly friendless neighbor boy. Throw in a zebra-striped chicken with an attitude, a snooty neighborhood girl, bully twin brothers, and pain in the neck younger sisters and no wonder this book is a Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee! Added bonus--since it is written from the perspective of the two very different characters, it is terrific read aloud for teachers focusing on characterization and voice.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book!

My 9 year old was assigned this book for her summer reading and she asked for me to read along. We LOVED this story!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was so sweet and the characters endearing! Quinny is vivacious and adorable but never twee or overly precocious. Hopper is sweetly misanthropic and I loved the way the author made such young characters so realistic. I also love that she made two little girls be the gross-out jokes of the story, not very common! The illustrations by Greg Swearingen were wonderful and I'm sad to see that he didn't do the sequel. A fun book for grade school aged kids!

[Brenda]

Quinny and Hopper reminded me so much of Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen. Alright, so maybe a younger version but still it was really cute. Juli is the one who initiates the friendship in Flipped and Quinny's personality so reminded me of Juli's. As in Flipped, the chapter's alternate the voices of Quinny and Hopper. They are very different from one another and this alternating voices allows their thoughts, feelings and views on a situation to shine. So much so that you come to care about both of these main characters. How they choose to describe each other is very cute and you really want their friendship to work out. Schanen accurately reflects the relationships that siblings may have. Especially when Quinny and Hopper are seen bickering, giving "wet willies," teased by or have one of their siblings get them in trouble. Most of all, I liked that Quinny kept her outgoing, boisterous personality and didn't give up on her friendship with Hopper just because Victoria thought she should. The illustrations by Greg Swearingen are very well done, especially the facial expressions of the two children and add to the charm of the story. Quinny and Hopper would appeal to children who enjoy books similar to Clemintine, and the Ramona series.

[Jayce Senter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun, sweet book. Everyone knows the feeling of being left out, of having a misunderstanding with a friend. Everyone knows what it feels like to have a true friend who sticks with you through it all and gives us the strength to be ourselves.

This book is broken into alternating points of view, Quinny’s and Hopper’s. Quinny’s chapters remind me strongly of Junie B. Jones. Hopper is much quieter and thoughtful.

Genre: Realistic
AR level: 4.0
Grade appropriate: 2nd and up

RATING BREAKDOWN:
Overall: 5/5-- Precious!

Creativity: 5/5

Characters: 5/5-- Quinny and Hopper are every man. Everyone’s got a little Quinny and a little Hopper in them and everyone has felt the way they feel in this book!

Engrossing: 5/5-- a quick fun read.

Writing: 5/5

Appeal to kids: 5/5-- Fans of Junie B. who are outgrowing her books will love Quinny & Hopper.

Appropriate length to tell the story: 5/5

CONTENT:
Language: none

Sexuality: none

Violence: none-- Quinny IS a green belt in tae kwon doe… And she might have to fend off mean girls who are trying to get her to kiss a boy at recess.

Drugs/Alcohol: none

[Andréa · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Quinny & Hopper, Adriana Brad Schanen skillfully draws readers into the minds of two very different kids. Alternating the book's point-of-view from chapter to chapter between Quinny, a loud and rambunctious girl, and Hopper, a quiet and withdrawn boy, Schanen enables readers to fully understand both characters equally and to empathize with them in turn.

The story celebrates being a kid and doing what makes you happy instead of what other people think you should do. At times, Quinny and Hopper's families are overly frustrating, but in general the story is touching and fun. And it's a book that can appeal to both genders, which is always something to appreciate. (It actually took me several pages before I figured out that Quinny is the girl.)

Best of all, though, are Greg Swearingen's wonderful illustrations. They add a lovely visual element--and a deeper appreciation of Hopper's artistic ability--without overwhelming the text or making the book feel like a picture book.

Note: I received a digital galley of this book through NetGalley.

[Teresa Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinny is a character much like Ramona, Junie B. and Clementine. She knows what she likes, is opinionated, and loves speaking her mind ofter without considering the consequences. Quinny's family has left the excitement of New York City for life in a small town which Quinny does not like at all. Her neighbor is Hopper a quiet studious boy her age who is often tormented by his twin older brothers. Two people could not be more different if they tried but in spite of everything they become fast friends. Victoria who often visits a neighboring aunt makes it her mission to teach Quinny "the ropes of third grade" which might be the end of her friendship with Hopper. Wanting to do the right thing leaves Quinny and Hopper wondering why that makes them both feel so uncomfortable. A story of what it means to be a friend.

[Kayla Birt · Rating 5 out of 5]

My sister read this as a family read-aloud for her four children, ages 3, 5, 7, and 8. They all LOVED Quinny & Hopper! They belly laughed through the adventures and narrative. My sister and her husband came home one night to find the kids all sitting around their babysitter as he read- they had been sitting for over an hour!

Another good word for this fantastic book comes from my niece, a non-native English speaker who is learning to read (she is the 7 year old). For her birthday she requested a Quinny & Hopper book with not as many words that she could read by herself. Her one concession: the cover didn't have to be blue.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe it took me so long to read this book! It is a gem! Oklahoma Children's Sequoyah Committee you did good choosing this one! Quincy moves from NYC to a small midwestern town. Hopper is her quiet next door neighbor. These characters are believable and real, I know them at my elementary school! Dialog is quick, authentic and funny! The topics are important, too. Siblings, making friends, bullying and finding your own voice and talents. This is such a good book! I want to buy a class set so our students can all read it!!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinny is lively, spontaneous, and everyone's friend; Hopper is quiet, shy, and doesn't have any friends. Quinny's family moves next door to Hopper's and they have a bumpy first meeting, followed by some good times that come to a sad pause, and finally a happy mending with a promise to be forever friends. I enjoyed the two points of view, the cranky chicken, and the stinky sister. This is an endearing story of friendship found, almost lost, and found again for life.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pop this one to the top of your TBR piles - perfect 3rd grade friendship story! Quinny is a little spitfire with a lot of heart, Hopper comes out of his shell, they save a chicken and overcome the mean girls of third grade. Great read aloud potential, boy appeal with grubby, gassy little sisters and bullish big brothers. 230 pages is long for third grade but font is large and there are some pics. Alternating POV nice touch for younger readers and is clearly marked. Fun little story!!!

[Nanci Booher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another OBOB book for 16-17 and yet another I hadn't heard of. It's a story of friendship, family and acceptance. It has moments of potential mean girl attitudes (really? These are 3rd graders) but it ends on a decent note of acceptance and knowing who your true friends are.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this to my six year old son. It was sweet and silly and a simple, yet enjoyable children's novel.

[C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things I really liked about this book:
It's fun and it's refreshing, there's a definite difference between the two main pov characters, and so it's easy to tell them apart and the way that they interact in general is really fun.

on that note, I loved the introvert and extroverted dynamic of the two - how they meet, and don't entirely understand the other, but become friends anyway. This book did an excellent job of exploring the ways that people have and want different things in relationships, and just in life in general, and how what was terrible to one person, wasn't so bad to the other, and I really loved that. I feel like it's not something I've seen done in any fiction for this age group that I've read, and it was done really well. This is definitely the strength of the book, and that - along with how much I enjoyed the main characters - is the reason for four stars.

That said there were things I didn't love. I didn't like that both of the characters had negative relationships with their siblings. I understand that's some kid's experiences, but it certainly wasn't mine and while mine annoyed me from time to time, we were generally pretty close. Piper and Quinny perhaps got the closest to something positive, but I also felt as if the way Quinny talked bout Piper was so dismissive and degrading, and it really grated on my nerves a lot. My son is an only, but I wouldn't want him to talk or think that way about his siblings even if they didn't have a positive relationship.

Victoria and everything that happened with her I have a sort of mixed perspective on. My son is in second grade, so I didn't love the focus on 'girls/boys/kissing' that popped up. I know sometimes that happens in grade school, and am aware of friends when we were younger who would get the whole 'oh you're dating so and so' thing in mixed gender friendships, but it's not great in general (and also super het-centered), and I wished that it had been maybe addressed as not healthy a little more explicitly in the text from one of the adults. Victoria as a character wasn't a super nice individual, and mostly I felt as if this was acknowledged, but it was also modeling some not great behavior too. I think most of these were things that I'm like 'oh, kids are this way and it's realistic', but mommy brain kicked in and didn't want my son to necessarily get exposed to the behavior if he's not getting it at school already.

which might be silly, because he might already be seeing it. GENERALLY, the main characters handle things well, they learn lessons, and step away from the less great ideas, and the story is fun, and I love the differences in the characters and how they still become friends, and generally it's a four star book because of all of those reasons!

[Applsd]

I read this a few years back and fell in love with the illustration style. A few months ago, I picked up my own copy from a book sale, but before I could read through it again, my younger brother ended up borrowing it twice. And he's definitely not someone I'd consider a big reader. He's actually interested in reading the sequels, which I didn't know existed.
So when I finally got my book back from him and got around to rereading it, I paid more attention to the words than I did the first time. Yeah, it was pretty good! I read it in one sitting, Hopper is as relatable as I remember, and Quinny's personality is one of the story's best elements.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun children's chapter book about an extroverted girl and an introverted boy, a renegade chicken, and friendship. It was well-written featuring some great child protagonists, and I loved how the author wrote from both points of view in alternate chapters. I might not go out of my way to read early reader chapter books, but like the Ramona books, this book left me with such a happy feeling that it has earned a place on my favorites list. Also, I will try to read the rest of the series, and I would probably read this fun book again.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty darn cute. Lots of good messages. Some a little tricky because these kids, headed into third grade, are thinking about the things and having attitudes generally explored in stories about kids in grades 6-8.

Also could have been much better if Quinny with her wild hair was actually African-American. She is from NYC and therefore deemed 'exotic' in this hamlet, anyway.

Impulse grab hoping it would qualify for a 'summer' challenge... it would have, except the challenge listed specific summer activities which don't appear here.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a nice, pleasant book for elementary grades. The younger ones can have it read to them, while the older ones can read it for themselves. This particular book was about Quinny and her friend Hopper and a chicken named Freya. During their adventures, themes are: friendship, being yourself, perseverance, adjusting to new situations, bullies, how to be a good friend etc. Or, you can just read it for enjoyment!

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've had this on my TBR for at least two years now, so I figured I'd go ahead and read it. I got about six pages in, and I couldn't stand the main character, Quinny. She sounded more like a six-year-old instead of the eight-year-old she was supposed to be. In fact, she reminded me a lot of Junie B. Jone's character. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't get to read from Hopper's point of view, but I just couldn't stand Quinny's personality from page one . . .

[Eileen Winfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book about Quinny and Hopper, new next door neighbors who face summer and then the beginning of third grade. There are a few hijinks but mostly trouble with annoying brothers, sisters and mean girls.
I’m not sure who to recommend it to. It’s pretty long for most third graders I know, except for the precocious readers who might find Quinny’s way of talking babyish. Maybe for more advanced second graders. I’ll have to see.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I seem to be out of step with other readers on this book. I definitely missed something that other people saw. I didn't think this was very well written. I found the characters to be talking in a way that was younger than their age and yet some of the topics in the book felt older than third grade. Seemed like a mismatch to me.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quinny & Hopper is very, very, extra-very fun to read. Friendship is such a tricky thing for students. Quinny and Hopper are next door neighbors who have very different personalities. But can a boy and a girl be friends in third grade or is that against the rules? And what does a chicken have to do with it? I would like to read the sequel.

[Amanda Wilcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I read this for a bedtime story together for her Battle of the Books competition. The characters and storyline grabbed us both right away. Freya, Hopper and Quinny had us laughing out loud through much of the story. We definitely recommend!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read-aloud for elementary grades- great friendship message, switches point of view, humorous and believable character voice, good for boys and girls, introverts and extroverts will relate to a character.

[Dina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to a class of third graders. It was recommended by another teacher. My students were rolling on the floor laughing. I had the school librarian add it as well as the next book to the library. Kids love this series.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quinny is a very vibrant and talkative child who moved into the house next to Hopper who's more contemplative and reserved. They become great friends and help each other in many situations. There are many issues that children face that the author brings up and faces!!!

[Xydel · Rating 4 out of 5]

From an 11-year-old: Quinny & Hopper is hilarious, original, and good for all age groups. I like how Quinny and Hopper have funny adventures like trying to catch a "zebra-chicken". Everyone should read this at least once in their lives.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this hoping to find a new book to interest my 8 year old. I enjoyed the book myself. I like the way it was written. She didnt dumb it down but wrote like an 8-9 year old would think and behave. The emotions and interacts of the kids at school is a lesson that is hard for parents to help kids navigate thru. And this book takes a different approach to show it is okay to be yourself. Im looking forward to discussing it with my daughter when she has finished reading it.