Kung Fooey

Calvin Coconut #6

by Graham Salisbury, Jacqueline Rogers

Calvin's mom says his new dog Streak smells bad. Especially her breath. Calvin's convinced that Streak's stink is a good one, but he's worried. If he doesn't solve Streak's problem soon, mom might make him give his beloved new dog back to the shelter. So when his teacher assigns his students a discovery project, Calvin decides to discover the worst stinks--and find a solution to Streak's bad breath.

Genres: Fiction, Humor, Realistic Fiction, Childrens

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Graham Salisbury comes from a 100-year line of newspapermen, all associated with Hawaii's morning paper, the Honolulu Advertiser. Although a career as a newsman could have been possible, Salisbury chose to imagine rather than report. "I enjoy writing about characters who might have been. To me, exploring fictional themes, situations, and lives is a quietly exhilarating experience. There are times when completely unexpected happenings take place as my fingertips walk the keyboard, things that make me laugh or get all choked up or even amaze me."
Salisbury's drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident throughout his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. And if my stories show characters choosing certain life options, and the possible consequences of having chosen those options, then I will have done something worthwhile."

His books -- Eyes of the Emperor, Blue Skin of the Sea, Under the Blood-Red Sun, Shark Bait, Jungle Dogs, Lord of the Deep, Island Boyz and his short stories, too -- have been celebrated widely with praise and distinguished awards. Graham Salisbury, winner of the PEN/Norma Klein Award, grew up on the islands of Oahu and Hawaii. Later, he graduated from California State University, Northridge, and received an MFA degree from Vermont College of Norwich University. In fact, he was a member of the founding faculty of Vermont College's highly successful MFA program in Writing for Children, now the Union Institute & University.

Other important things to know about this author: He worked as the skipper of a glass-bottom boat, as a deckhand on a deep-sea charter fishing boat, and as an Montessori elementary school teacher. His
rock-and-roll band, The Millennium, had a number one hit in the Philippines, which he composed. He once surfed with a shark, got stung by a Portuguese man-of-war (several times!), and swam for his life from a moray eel. Believe it or not, he didn't wear shoes until the sixth grade and never saw snow until he was nineteen. Graham Salisbury now lives with his family in Portland, Oregon.

Reviews

[Ryan Myette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The entire series is OK.This is my favorite so far.
I actually missed number hero of Hawaii though.
The new kid is a little weird.Eating bugs?Yuck
I live on Hawaii and the setting is good.
Overall I give four stars

[Joanne Zienty · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new kid who has a flare for exaggerating the truth, a trio of bullies, and a grouchy teenage house guest who's on a jerky quest (literally) to earn her driver's license: fourth grader Calvin definitely has his his hands full of trouble this time. The story is familiar, but the setting (Hawaii) and a few of the tweaks are fresh. The ending is refreshingly low-key, but satisfying, like a shave-ice on a hot day.

[Andria · Rating 2 out of 5]

It seemed like the author was trying to write the way Hawaiians talk but it came off as very bad grammar frequently. It seemed more like an episode of a show than a book because the end was anticlimactic and did not seem to have much of a pay off. Yes they did stand up to the bully but the bully wasn't too bullying compared to bullies I have seen and no one tried to fix the problem that Benny had, no one tried to talk to him and we don't know what happened to him.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of press attention has been given lately to the prevalence of bullying among children, & many kids' books are being written that address the topic. Graham Salisbury's Calvin Coconut looks at it in the same breezy, light, but thought-provoking style of his other books. Kids will enjoy & relate to Calvin & his experiences, & it could be used as a springboard for discussion.

[Calvin Kwon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good because Calvin, he tried to scare off some of the older boys and a new kid in his class tried to scare the older kids off by eating dead worms and crickets. The book is called Kung Fooey because Calvin keeps saying I know Kung Foo and he keeps showing off his moves. My favorite part of the book was when Calvin sees the new boy eat worms and crickets.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fabulous addition to the Calvin Coconut series. This one is a bit more serious than some of the others, as it deals more directly with ridicule and bullying, but most of the books have serious moments thrown in, so readers shouldn't be surprised.

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I just started is book and i can't put it down i think it is a little confusing calvin totally should take kung fu lessons this new guy benny shows up and the teacher asks him to tell the class about himself and the first thing he says is "I know kung fu!"

[Jonathan 11-12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really funny and fun. There were some action but it was mostly funny. It also had really suprising parts and some sad parts too.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book for young boys.

[Evans Kids · Rating 4 out of 5]

D. really enjoyed the 3 books he has read from this series. The library only had a few of these books.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another in the series about Calvin Coconut, a boy that lives in a village on Oahu.