Nate Rocks the World

Karen P. Toz

Average Rating 9/10 (1 Review)

Ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge cannot catch a break. After all, life as a fourth-grader can be hazardous - what with science projects to deal with and recess football games to avoid. Everyone, including his best friend Tommy, seems to have bad luck when hanging around Nathan. Throw in an older sister who is a royal pain, a dad who is stuck in the past, and a mom who keeps trying to poison him with her awful cooking, and poor Nathan's life as a fourth-grader appears to be completely doomed. Armed only with his sketchpad, his imagination, and his wits, Nathan Rockledge navigates the perils of the fourth grade in style, to emerge heroic, as Nate Rocks, proving that even a ten-year-old can accomplish great things.

Review by Deb Hockenberry (290212) Rating (9/10)

Review by Deb Hockenberry
Rating 9/10
It's so tough to be ten-years-old. Nobody knows this better than Nate. He has to put up with his bossy big sister and listening to his father's never - ending stories about when he was growing up. Not only this, but his mother doesn't know how to cook. She thinks she does and even makes meals for Nate and his family. The problem is, all the meals taste like cardboard! To make matters even worse, the teacher pairs him up to do a science project with a (ugh!) girl.

On Christmas morning, Nate's world seems to look up when he and his sister get a small package. The family is going on a trip. Is his bossy sister happy about this? No. She whines and complains how she has nothing to wear on the trip and has to work on her tan before they hit the beach.

So, how does Nate escape the atrocities of his life? Drawing! Give Nate a sketch pad, pencils, crayons and Nate's imagination can take him anywhere, do anything and most importantly, do it his way. In practically every chapter Nate's imagination takes him on another adventure. He also has a way to get out of eating his mom's cooking. The problem is that this only works some of the time. Nate plays with his best friend and hopes he is invited for dinner.

I just loved this book! Karen P. Toz shows all of the trials and imaginative solutions of a ten-year-old boy perfectly. Nate Rocks!
Deb Hockenberry (29th February 2012)