Alex Ryan, Stop That!

West Creek Middle School

by Claudia Mills

Reading level: Ages 4-8 Paperback: 160 pages Publisher: Hyperion (September 1, 2004) Language: English ISBN: 078685118X Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.4 inches The gang from West Creek Middle School is together again, and this time wisecracking, mischief-making Alex Ryan is in the spotlight. Seventh grade is quickly coming to an end, and things have not been going the way he planned, especially with his classmate Marcia. No matter what Alex says or does, he seems to upset her, as one minute he is playing tricks and the next he is trying to smooth things over. And the prospect of the event of the year, the outdoor education trip, does not help him feel better, especially since his ever-critical father has volunteered to be a chaperon. To make the event fun and unforgettable, Alex and his friend Dave come up with a "plan," but the prank goes awry, Marcia breaks her ankle, and the protagonist learns a lot about honesty and bravery. Mills has a knack for getting into the confused minds of kids on the verge of adolescence. She carefully exposes Alex's bewilderment, making for a touching and funny read.

Genres: Middle Grade, Young Adult

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Claudia Mills is the author of Nixie Ness, Cooking Star, 7 x 9 = Trouble!, Zero Tolerance, Write This Down, and many other books for children. She was born in New York City in 1954. She received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, her master's degree from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in philosophy from Princeton University. She also received an M.L.S. degree from the University of Maryland, with a concentration in children's literature. She had a second career as a professor of philosophy at the Colorado at Boulder, until leaving that career in 2014 to write full time. She now teaches in the graduate program in children's literature at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. All of her books have been written between 5 and 7 in the morning while drinking Swiss Miss hot chocolate.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/claudi...

Reviews

[ukuklele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex Ryan cowok yang hampir-hampir sempurna: jangkung, jago lari, nilai-nilainya bagus (terutama matematika), dan suka melucu. Yang menyebalkan dari dia paling-paling kebutuhannya untuk terus-terus mencari perhatian. Menghibur orang lain juga terasa bagai "kewajiban" bagi dirinya.

Dalam cerita ini, Alex belajar agar sensible akan joke-joke-nya (khususnya terhadap Marcia), mempertanggungjawabkan perbuatannya, berani mengakui kesalahannya, serta individuasi dengan ayahnya.

Di sini lagi-lagi saya memperhatikan pembawaan orang tua yang begitu soft kepada anaknya. (Sebetulnya pembawaan mereka di tiap seri terasa sama saja walaupun mereka orang tua dari tokoh-tokoh yang berlainan, yang membedakan hanya profesi dan hobi.) Bahkan ayah Alex yang begitu ekstrover dan sanguine dibandingkan dengan ayah-ayah lain pun tidak berlama-lama saat harus bersikap tegas kepada anaknya.

Di samping itu, di buku ini setiap anak--bahkan yang sadar diri sebagai loser--mesti mendapat penghargaan. Lizzie yang dulu outcast mendapat penghargaan paling banyak, dan malah sekarang dikatakan sebagai bagian dari anak populer padahal hanya karena mengubah gaya berpakaian di buku sebelumnya. Di semesta saya, Ethan dan Julius akan tetap losers yang tidak mendapat penghargaan apa pun, Julius tidak akan berteman dengan cewek secantik Olivia, Lizzie tetap nerd tanpa kelebihan berarti, dan ketiganya hampir-hampir tidak beririsan dengan anak-anak seperti Alex dan Marcia.

[Madeline Pratchler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I read this book together. Such a great book with so many lessons in it! Alex Ryan, the prankster always has "the plan" to make students laugh and to keep up his status as the jokester. His humour towards a cute girl in his class, Marcia, backfires when she gets offended by his teasing comments. His lawyer father is a sore spot with him - his father often makes joking remarks at him in front of others and he finds them embarrassing. While Alex struggles to make amends to Marcia and sort through his mixed feelings about his father's attitude towards making things right, he learns a valuable lesson in integrity. I love this author's style - just the right pace with enough action to keep our attention and the pages turning! Definitely recommend!!

[eveleeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Alex is a class clown and is always getting in trouble. He has a crush on the most popular girl, Marcia, in the 7th grade. when he's around her, he always goes blank and says something dumb and emaberrasing. Until, he gets a chance to redeem himself, but his embarrasing dad comes along for the field trip in outdoor ed. Everything seems doomed, until he plays a practical joke on Marcia that at first is super funny but turns into a living nightmare when Marcia gets hurt and they are stranded in the middle of nowhere.

I think this book is really funny and shows how a teenager's mistakes are handled with their consequences and the chaos we cause.

[Bubbles · Rating 5 out of 5]

alex ryan stop that is a book about this boy that really really likes this girl this books kind of reminds me of one of my best frieds and the boy that shhe likes alot but the why she acts around him makes him not want to talk to her and the same thing happens in this book

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was fun to follow Alex and his antics where what he hopes will happen and what actually results seem to never match. He shows great courage in the end, which we hope our children and we ourselves can emulate.

[Dahlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

My boys did okay with this book. There were funny parts, but they didn't beg me to read more each night like they have some other books. I think there was a good lesson in this story.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was funny and learnt to be nice to people and not to show off

[Phoebe C · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was good and funny.

[Marcus Siefring · Rating 5 out of 5]

it was absolutely amazing

[Raegan]

I thought it was pretty good and at first it wasn't very good but it got better as the book went on