Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters

July 1, 2009
Gr 2-4-This second story about Alvin Ho, the boy who is afraid of almost everything, is another delightful look into the life of the timid youngster. In this installment, his fears center around a big upcoming event: camping with his dad. Once again, Looks dialogue is spot on: she captures the silly, impetuous, jump-from-one-idea-to-the-next quality of a second-grade boy. Alvins adventures (like getting trapped in a dishwasher box while pretending to be Houdini, and learning secret camping tricks from his uncle) are charmingly genuine and fun to read. Looks pitch-perfect descriptions and phrasing add to the overall humor and heart of the story (about his sister, Alvin says, Shes like a stoplight in the middle of my life and theres just no avoiding her.) and her sensitivity to what it means to be a not-quite-normal little boy is right on target. Whimsical illustrations pop up mid-page; Phams expressive characters capture the essence of the story. A Very Scary Glossary of Alvins fears and favorite things is included at the end. There are certain stories kids read and just feel good for having read: this is one of them."Nicole Waskie, Chenango Forks Elementary, Binghamton, NY"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2010
In his second book, not-so-intrepid second grader Alvin, little sister Anibelly, and their dad go camping. The hilarious text includes a twenty-one-step list of "how to pitch a tent." Look takes familiar kid traumas and ramps them up a notch. Pham's illustrations convey the story's humor and capture the pure joy of such things as lying in a sleeping bag under the stars.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from September 1, 2009
Fans of Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things (rev. 7/08) are treated to more of Alvin's "allergies." The not-so-intrepid second grader's fears this time involve the great (Alvin: "What's so great about it?") outdoors. When Alvin's dad takes him and little sister Anibelly on a camping trip in the woods, Alvin discovers there are things even scarier than school. Fortunately, he also learns that "a hero is someone who is willing to be scared." Look takes familiar kid traumas and troubles and ramps them up a notch, leaving them easily recognizable to young readers but a whole lot funnier. Hilarious bits include Alvin getting wrapped up Houdini-style and taped into a large box by Anibelly (who then blithely goes off with their grandfather, leaving Alvin alone and trapped) and a twenty-one-step list of "how to pitch a tent" that includes "17. Stand back and admire. 18. Go in and check it out! 19. Don't panic. 20. Find your way out of the collapsed tent." As in the first book, Pham's illustrations convey the story's humor and capture the pure joy of such things as lying in a sleeping bag under the stars, wearing a Batman ring, and coming back from a trip to "a yummy dinner of fried rice...[that] smelled like home and tasted like Chinese New Year." Readers can only hope that Alvin continues to describe in such wonderful detail his many allergic reactions.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)