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Children's Fiction Friendship

Dingus

by (author) Andrew Larsen

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
May 2017
Category
Friendship, General, Adolescence
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781771386616
    Publish Date
    May 2017
    List Price
    $16.95

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 9 to 12
  • Grade: 4 to 7
  • Reading age: 9 to 12

Description

Summer vacation is starting, and soon-to-be-sixth-grader Henry is facing two months with nothing to do. He can sadly feel himself “being pulled by the gravitational force of nothingness.” His best friend, Max, who may not even be his best friend anymore, is going away to chess camp. And all Henry's stay-at-home father has planned for him and his toddler brother, Sam, is something called a staycation. Things start looking up, however, when he finds out they'll be dog-sitting his grandfather's dog, Rupert. That is, until the day they bring Rupert to the park, where Henry does something irresponsible. Something with real consequences. And suddenly Henry would give anything to go back to the nothingness. Can Henry make things right? Or has he turned into the dingus Max said he shouldn't be?

This classic middle-grade coming-of-age novel from popular author Andrew Larsen is told with humor and heart. Henry is a likable boy trying hard not to be a dingus (translation: “a fool or a goof”) as he navigates the changes in both his home and social lives. On top of that, he knows his father is right when he says Henry needs to step up and become more responsible. Happily, Henry manages to do just that in the end. With believable dialogue and touching scenes of everyday family life, this story feels honest and true. It would make a perfect summer reading choice. It could also easily spark discussions about growing up and developing a sense of self.

About the author

 

Andrew Larsen est père au foyer et auteur. Quand il était enfant, il passait toujours une partie de son été au chalet de ses grands-parents, situé sur une colline, près d'un lac. Andrew habite à Toronto. Il a publié sept albums jeunesse.

 

Andrew Larsen is a father, homemaker and author. When he was a child, he would spend a part of every summer with his grandparents at their cottage on a hill, by a lake. Andrew now lives in a downtown Toronto neighbourhood. He has published seven picture books.

 

Andrew Larsen's profile page

Awards

  • Winner, Kid Committee Summer Reading List, OLA Forest of Reading
  • Winner, Best Books for Kids & Teens, Canadian Children's Book Centre

Editorial Reviews

Henry is relatable, impulsive, and often funny, leading the reader through a sympathetic, unsentimental look at how to appreciate what you have.

Booklist Online

Sometimes kids just want to read relatable stories about other kids like themselves. Dingus ably fits the bill.

Quill & Quire

Larsen has crafted a gentle and authentic story of a boy coming of age and coming to terms with changes within himself and his friends at a very pivotal age.

CM Magazine

Heartfelt ...

Kirkus Reviews

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