How to Take the GROAN Out of Grown-Ups (and Get Along!) (Laugh & Learn®)

Most kids have plenty of adults in their lives. Sometimes they are easy to get along with, but sometimes it seems to be the most difficult thing in the world. So if a middle-grader could find a nice book chock-full of good advice about dealing with adults, that would be a real gift. And if the book had a friendly tone and used lots of humor and a ton of fun illustrations, that would be even better. And then, if none of it came across as being preachy, well, that would be almost too much to hope for, but this is that book.

Author Eric Braun keeps everything light while still being on target the whole way through. He does this while discussing some pretty serious topics, things that might make readers uncomfortable, but in this case, he avoids that discomfort. His advice is sound, including lots of ideas about how to have difficult conversations with parents, teachers, and other adults as well as good examples of what one might expect in terms of responses. Illustrator Steve Mark has filled the pages with super-fun, cartoonish drawings that will engage readers. This is a winner.