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Danny's Doodles #2
The Squirting Donuts
Here are two mean and nasty Mrs. Cakel Something has gone wrong in Danny and Calvin's fourth-grade classroom―out of the blue, Mrs. Cakel has transformed from a rampant rule-enforcer to a quiet excuse-accepter. Has she been replaced with an alien? Has she undergone a top-secret personality makeover? Danny and Calvin decide there's only one way to find out what's really going on― spy . But spying soon leads to a greater mystery filled with dog chasing, jelly-injected donuts, prune butter-included experiments, riddle mania, and more! Praise for Danny's Doodle' The Jelly Bean Experiment : "The first-person narration, realistic characters and occasional line-drawing 'doodles' will keep pages turning."― Kirkus Reviews
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
6 people are currently reading
274 people want to read
About the author
David A. Adler
400 books202 followersDavid Abraham Adler is an American children's author. He was born in New York City, New York in 1947. He graduated from Queens College in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in economics and education. For the next nine years, he worked as a mathematics teacher for the New York City Board of Education, while taking classes towards a master's degree in marketing, a degree he was awarded by New York University in 1971. In that same year, a question from his then-three-year-old nephew inspired Adler to write his first story, A Little at a Time, subsequently published by Random House in 1976. Adler's next project, a series of math books, drew on his experience as a math teacher. In 1977, he created his most famous character, Cam Jansen, originally featured in Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, which was published that year.
Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.
Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.
As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.
(source: Wikipedia)
Adler married psychologist Renee Hamada in 1973, and their first child, Michael, was born in 1977. By that time Adler had taken a break from teaching and, while his wife continued her work, he stayed home, took care of Michael, and began a full-time writing career.
Adler's son, Michael S. Adler, is now the co-author of several books with his father, including A Picture Book of Sam Adams, A Picture Book of John Hancock, and A Picture Book of James and Dolly Madison. Another son, Edward, was the inspiration for Adler's Andy Russell series, with the events described in the series loosely based on adventures the Adler family had with Edward's enthusiasm and his pets.
As of November 2008, Adler has three sons and two grandsons. He lives in Woodmere, New York.
(source: Wikipedia)
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 5, 2014
A Funny, Honest Easy-Going Book
David Adler is the author of the Cam Jansen mysteries, which is a very popular series featuring a kid sleuth with a photographic memory. Those books are fine as basic introductory mysteries, but the characters and plots are very thin. The Danny's Doodles books, starting with "The Jelly Bean Experiment" and then this one, offer an entirely different reading experience. There is no mystery plot as such; the stories are much more episodic and pay as much attention to what the characters are having for lunch as they do to plot.
All of the kid characters are fourth grade classmates. The target readership, at least according to the publisher, is grades one through three, which sounds right, but shouldn't discourage older kids from reading the books. Usually, for this age audience, we get zany and antic plots and loud bigger than life heroes and heroines who have a knack for messing up and/or creating chaos. I can think of a dozen such characters right off the top of my head. This book is not like that; it delivers more.
Each book is anchored by Danny. He is the narrator, the voice of reason, and a sort of wry, (for a fourth grader), observer who comments on the action. Calvin Waffle is the "weird" loner who marches to his own drumbeat; Annie is a slightly bossy classmate with a mild sneaker for Danny; Douglas is a classmate who just ignores Calvin because Calvin's weird. Each of these kids confounds your expectations by being decent, generous, understanding, honest and kind every time there is an opportunity for the usual fictional angst or smartmouth or meanness. They are anti-fictional; they are real-real.
Danny is more patient with Calvin than you might expect. Annie and Douglas are more open to getting to know and like Calvin than you expect. Calvin is smarter, funnier, wiser, sadder and more socially attuned than you expect. Just when you think someone is going to get annoyed, they display understanding. Just when you expect anger you get forgiveness. Just when you expect childish drama you get restraint and perspective. These are grounded, funny, smart, observant kids who display all of the cockeyed logic and wise-oblivious reasoning that you would expect from fourth graders.
The writing is neither drippy nor cute. There are some arresting grace notes and little bits of business. The whole project reads like a mild group-based buddy comedy, as though "MASH" or something like that had been written for fourth graders. The dialogue says more than the people speaking realize. Danny's musing are not self-conscious and are almost age appropriate, but again, they tell us more than Danny realizes and are often wiser than Danny's years. There is a lot going on in this slim volume and it's all good. This is quality writing. And it should be accessible to all levels of readers; some may just get a little more out of the book than others.
So, not to sound too much like a gushing fan boy, but these really are worth a look, both because they are aimed at an often over-looked readership and are, in any event, good reads. (Please note that I downloaded a free ecopy of this book from my local library. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
David Adler is the author of the Cam Jansen mysteries, which is a very popular series featuring a kid sleuth with a photographic memory. Those books are fine as basic introductory mysteries, but the characters and plots are very thin. The Danny's Doodles books, starting with "The Jelly Bean Experiment" and then this one, offer an entirely different reading experience. There is no mystery plot as such; the stories are much more episodic and pay as much attention to what the characters are having for lunch as they do to plot.
All of the kid characters are fourth grade classmates. The target readership, at least according to the publisher, is grades one through three, which sounds right, but shouldn't discourage older kids from reading the books. Usually, for this age audience, we get zany and antic plots and loud bigger than life heroes and heroines who have a knack for messing up and/or creating chaos. I can think of a dozen such characters right off the top of my head. This book is not like that; it delivers more.
Each book is anchored by Danny. He is the narrator, the voice of reason, and a sort of wry, (for a fourth grader), observer who comments on the action. Calvin Waffle is the "weird" loner who marches to his own drumbeat; Annie is a slightly bossy classmate with a mild sneaker for Danny; Douglas is a classmate who just ignores Calvin because Calvin's weird. Each of these kids confounds your expectations by being decent, generous, understanding, honest and kind every time there is an opportunity for the usual fictional angst or smartmouth or meanness. They are anti-fictional; they are real-real.
Danny is more patient with Calvin than you might expect. Annie and Douglas are more open to getting to know and like Calvin than you expect. Calvin is smarter, funnier, wiser, sadder and more socially attuned than you expect. Just when you think someone is going to get annoyed, they display understanding. Just when you expect anger you get forgiveness. Just when you expect childish drama you get restraint and perspective. These are grounded, funny, smart, observant kids who display all of the cockeyed logic and wise-oblivious reasoning that you would expect from fourth graders.
The writing is neither drippy nor cute. There are some arresting grace notes and little bits of business. The whole project reads like a mild group-based buddy comedy, as though "MASH" or something like that had been written for fourth graders. The dialogue says more than the people speaking realize. Danny's musing are not self-conscious and are almost age appropriate, but again, they tell us more than Danny realizes and are often wiser than Danny's years. There is a lot going on in this slim volume and it's all good. This is quality writing. And it should be accessible to all levels of readers; some may just get a little more out of the book than others.
So, not to sound too much like a gushing fan boy, but these really are worth a look, both because they are aimed at an often over-looked readership and are, in any event, good reads. (Please note that I downloaded a free ecopy of this book from my local library. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
August 16, 2014
I got an arc at ALA. Signed too by David Adler! Since it is what I grabbed while eating supper, I read the second one first. However, all the characters are well explained, 3 dimensional and interesting. This is pretty hard to do in 114 pages! Danny is in 4th grade. His forth grade teacher frightens everyone, from the principal on down to the students, especially.But one day Danny and Calvin, his best friend, discover a new teacher: Mrs.Cakel has been transformed from a terror to this slumping, accept any excuses, teacher. What could have happened? Danny and Calvin do some detective work and discover Mrs. Cakel's poodle, Lollipop, has disappeared. They then try to solve that mystery as well. Will they succeed? Will Mrs. Cakel come through with the promised unspecified rewards? Will she go back to being her mean self? I'll admit the last question is not entirely answered but it turns out there is more to Mrs. Cakel than originally seen by the kids. The publisher told me at ALA that this and the first book are going to be coming out in hardcover as well. That means I can consider buying this really pleasant set for the library!
I don't think Danny is quite another Cam Jansen in terms of complete popularity, but he is a full fleshed, interesting kid. He has a solid set of ethics and values, unlike his friend Calvin and while it might make him a bit priggish, he still comes across as very likable! It is nice to have a child who will resist the urging of a friend to do something to make sure they definitely win rewards. He sees his friend's faults and is still friendly with him. He also seems quite observant of the adults in his life as well. Impressive kid. I'd like my (former) kids to make friends with him!
I don't think Danny is quite another Cam Jansen in terms of complete popularity, but he is a full fleshed, interesting kid. He has a solid set of ethics and values, unlike his friend Calvin and while it might make him a bit priggish, he still comes across as very likable! It is nice to have a child who will resist the urging of a friend to do something to make sure they definitely win rewards. He sees his friend's faults and is still friendly with him. He also seems quite observant of the adults in his life as well. Impressive kid. I'd like my (former) kids to make friends with him!
June 10, 2015
Reviewed for School Library Journal, December 2014
Gr 2–4: Fourth-grader Danny and his eccentric friend Calvin have a mystery to solve. Mrs. Cakel, their terrifying and dictatorial teacher, has been replaced by a clone who allows them to slouch and chew gum. Unheard of! Confused by such an abrupt change in behavior, the two decide to snoop around and get some answers. In the midst of their investigation, both boys experience abrupt changes in their lives. Danny's father loses his job, while Calvin's mother, who is just as peculiar and flighty as her son, lands a new job making doughnuts. Despite their own familial issues, the two boys discover the key to Mrs. Cakel's personality shift and set out to return things to normal. The story has likable characters and a well-paced plot. It is filled with Danny's doodles, which will appeal to some readers and make a first chapter book less intimidating. While an easy read, Adler deftly incorporates deeper issues, such as Mrs. Cakel's solitary life and Calvin's father abandonment of his family. Hand this one to kids who've graduated from Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate the Great" series (Random) but aren't quite ready for a lengthier, weightier read.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI -
Gr 2–4: Fourth-grader Danny and his eccentric friend Calvin have a mystery to solve. Mrs. Cakel, their terrifying and dictatorial teacher, has been replaced by a clone who allows them to slouch and chew gum. Unheard of! Confused by such an abrupt change in behavior, the two decide to snoop around and get some answers. In the midst of their investigation, both boys experience abrupt changes in their lives. Danny's father loses his job, while Calvin's mother, who is just as peculiar and flighty as her son, lands a new job making doughnuts. Despite their own familial issues, the two boys discover the key to Mrs. Cakel's personality shift and set out to return things to normal. The story has likable characters and a well-paced plot. It is filled with Danny's doodles, which will appeal to some readers and make a first chapter book less intimidating. While an easy read, Adler deftly incorporates deeper issues, such as Mrs. Cakel's solitary life and Calvin's father abandonment of his family. Hand this one to kids who've graduated from Marjorie Weinman Sharmat's "Nate the Great" series (Random) but aren't quite ready for a lengthier, weightier read.—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph Public Library, St. Joseph, MI -
February 21, 2017
A second adventure for these two friends. They locate their teacher's lost dog and help her. Briefly touches on a parent losing a job but little development of that theme.
February 3, 2024
The two meanest, nastiest words in the world are “Ms. Cakel.” Even parents who come for parent-teacher conferences fear her and follow her “No” list- no gum chewing, no slouching, no mumbling…well, you get the picture. Imagine her students’ surprise when she comes to class and doesn’t reprimand anyone for anything. In fact, most of the day, she sits at her desk and stares into space. Calvin and Daniel decide to investigate. They discover that her dog, Lollipop, is missing, and Ms. Cakel is offering a reward for the dog’s safe return! Calvin hopes that the reward involves being able to break the “No” rules. The boys spend three days searching places a hungry, thirsty dog would go until they find a restaurant with an empty bowl by the back door. When they reunite Ms. Cakel and Lollipop, Daniel and Calvin are pleased with their rewards.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com
October 12, 2016
I read this book because it had donuts. Calvin's mom was a baker in this book and she made donuts for Calvin and Danny, Calvin's friend. When they took a bite out the donut, the jelly squirted out (there were two squirts of jelly instead of one). That's why the book is called The Squirting Donuts. This book was more interesting than the first book in the series, The Jellybean Experiment. I hope there are more books in this series.
May 6, 2015
"Splat worries about each new adventure. Whether it’s going to the doctor, the first day of school, or bedtime, Splat is sure to keep you laughing while he learns the rules of life. Whether you’re looking for a Lift the Flap or I Can Read book, there’s a Splat the Cat adventure for you and your grownup."
October 12, 2014
Danny and Calvin's quest to find their mean teacher's lost cat can be enjoyed by young readers and adults alike. Adler's illustrations really add to the fast moving story. In a flash, the story is over, but it sure brings back memories of school days. Thank you GoodReads for the book.
November 17, 2014
A cute book I received from through a giveaway on goodreads. I thought it was cute-my daughter who is almost 10 (she is grade 5) didn't feel the same (she didn't really like it). I would recommend this book for a younger age group-grade 3 and 4.
October 13, 2014
Another great series book about 4th graders that 4th graders can relate to. This is the second book in the series, I have to get the first one and find out how it all started. A great book to improve reading stamina and make connections.
September 11, 2014
Solid early chapter book. I love Calvin Waffle! This is the second in the series, but stands alone perfectly well.
February 9, 2016
This book would be good for kids not ready for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." I didn't particularly enjoy it, but I can see why some 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders would enjoy this series.
April 12, 2017
This is the 2nd in the Danny's Doodles series and it is even more fun than the first one. Danny and Calvin's mean teacher is suddenly not herself... she is nice! This is only the beginning of changes for the boys... Calvin's mom gets a job and Danny's dad loses his. This series is a great choice for readers in 2nd - 4th grade. The characters are well developed and while the plots are interesting, they are still simple enough for emergent readers who are moving to chapter books. I highly recommend these titles for both school and public libraries.
May 2, 2017
I think with all the different characters win this book, students would find this book reliable and really enjoy it! I thought it was fun! I give this book 4 stars
Grade Equivalent: 3.3
Lexile: 480L
Grade Equivalent: 3.3
Lexile: 480L
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews