Dingus

by Andrew Larsen

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?

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Chapter Books, Humor

208 pages, Hardcover

Published May 2, 2017

About the author

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 neighborhood. He has published three picture books with Kids Can Press and one with Fitzhenry & Whiteside. He is married with two children.

Reviews

[Kris (My Novelesque Life)]

DNF @17%

I requested this book as I thought it was another picture book by Andrew Larsen. I have enjoyed them in the past so requested this one. I realized once I downloaded it, this was a chapter book for middle school readers. I grew up on Cleary and Blume so when I go into books, that is kind of what I am hoping for. Unfortunately, I could not get into this story or found Henry endearing.

***I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through Edelweiss. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.***

[Israel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dingus by Andrew Larsen is a sweet loving story about a boy named Henry and his summer vacation. This book is awesome. It's just a perfect book for a middle schooler. I love the way this author gave such good detail and made you actually feel like you were living the boys life. “I just wish things could go back to normal…”.This is what Henry told his best friend Max once he felt like he had abandoned him. I as a student can relate to this as I can recall wishing that things were different and that I felt like I lost my friend. I love that when you read this book you really get to learn about Henry and his personality. I recommend this book to any student or a pal that just wants a nice, funny, and sweet story to read.

[Kathy D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to read with your kids or for them to read on their own. It's fun story for fans of books like the Wimpy Kid series. Well-done!

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Larsen, Andrew Dingus, 206 pages. Kids can press, 2017. $15.95. Language:G (0 swears 0 “f”s) Mature Content:G Violence:G.

Fifth grade Henry is having friendship troubles with his best friend since first grade, Max, who has been acting rude to him ever since he joined the chess team earlier in the school year. After school ends, Max is off to summer camp and Henry is stuck at home with his father and his baby brother Sam while mis mother goes to Las Vegas on a business trip. With nothing else to do he spends time with his grandfather, Poppy, and his dog. Soon, his summer takes a turn for the worse when Poppy goes off camping and he leaves Henry with his best friend and pet, Rupert. Henry is faced with dealing with a lack of attention from his parents due to his younger sibling, but will he come to terms with having a younger brother before mother comes back home?

Dingus is a quick read best suited for younger audiences. It’s a slice of life story featuring a common and slightly irritating cliche: the child not getting enough attention due to a sibling. However, this book has the redeeming quality of being about a believable friendship coming apart. Henry coming to terms with both losing his friend and getting over it, and also dealing with his baby brother, is very realistic; it’s something a child can relate to. In terms of quality, the setup is perfect, but it all quickly falls apart. A fast but dull read with no action, suspense, or good humor to keep you reading. This premise is realistic, but that’s the problem. It’s so true to life that it may as well be a diary of a younger sibling.

EL - OPTIONAL 8th Grade Student Reviewer ZH
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2017/...

[Forever Librarian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eleven-year-old Henry finds himself at the end of 5th grade entering a summer of "nothingness." Max, his best friend since kindergarten, has a bunch of new best friends from the chess club and instead of inviting Henry to be a part of it, he starts making fun of Henry in front of them. Henry's 5th grade teacher encourages his students to shoot for the moon and embrace making mistakes, but as Max goes off to chess camp and the others brag about their fun-filled summers, Henry just mopes around the house. At home, his mom is around less due to a promotion at work and his dad's idea of a "staycation" to save money sounds boring and definitely not "wicked." Even Max's emails about being a dingus or his grandpa's dog, Rupert, can't cheer him up. But when Henry's dad, little brother and he embrace the true spirit of a "staycation," and set out to try new things every day, Henry's summer starts to turn around and so does his attitude. Henry embraces the idea of being a dingus, a person who makes some mistakes and is a bit of a goof but his heart is in the right place. Although the ending doesn't wrap up the riff between Max and Henry completely, there are signs that the friendship is likely on the mend. Henry learns a bit over the summer about taking responsibility and having integrity. He learns about appreciating your family and embracing what you have. I wish there was a little stronger story arc, but this glimpse into the transition from elementary to middle school is generally pretty enjoyable. I think upper elementary and early middle school students will identify with Henry's journey. Grades 4-6

[Ms.Gaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry is a dingus...not a stupid person or an idiot, and certainly not a doofus, just a dingus - "a person that displays stupidity or does something disappointing”. Summer vacation is not turning out the way he hoped. Can he fix his friendship with Max…and with his grandfather? Grades 4-5

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a simple, but touching story about a boy who doesn't feel he fits in.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

All action and dialogue, but no character introspection.

[Shotobhisha · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I requested this because I haven't read a children's book in a while and this sounded interesting. This book reminded me why.
While the story is quite basic, revolving around the middle schooler Henry's summer before sixth grade. It was fun to read from his point of view and try to empathize with how differently a sixth grader feels about certain issues. His problems seem so trivial to me now but when I was that age, those were what my world revolved around too! The story is very realistic, but not very interesting. I skimmed through a few parts that felt like they were dragging on. The story is very much centered on Henry and I felt ambivalent towards him, which is why I gave this a low rating.
Overall, I think a younger audience will definitely enjoy it, particularly fans of the 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' series and other similar books. It was just a bit too immature for me.
PS- The cover art is absolutely beautiful and so freaking detailed, I LOVE IT <3

[CT · Rating 3 out of 5]

A simple story that revolves around a middle-school boy named Henry. It shows the typical interaction, insecurities, drama and emotional roller coaster that a middle schooler goes through. It contrasts the varying cliques in school, as well as the lifestyles of the varying social classes, and how these impressions affect the kids’ confidence and security. Henry comes from a lower middle-class, single-income family, and he has a younger sibling who is still learning to talk. The daily drama is only mildly interesting, but definitely realistic. I myself have 2 middle schoolers and this book helps me understand things from their perspective.

I received a review copy of the book from NetGalley.

[Lisi Tesher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet.
Good for Grade 4/5.

[Sara Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was given to me through the Goodreads Giveaway.
My son enjoyed this book. It was a little hard for him to stay focused on it at first, but he said he enjoyed it.

[Selena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an adorable story of a young boy named Henry, his best friend, Max and his parents and little brother, Sam. It is a funny, adventuresome book. Lots of humor and charm. I love the closeness of Max and his entire family and how, even though they might not have a lot of money, they have a lot of love and a lot of fun. I love some of the old school that was brought into this book. Examples: Rubix Cube, Chess, Elvis Presley, hand made bottle rockets, etc. I also loved their teacher, Mr. Buntrock, and the the promise he made all the kids repeat on the last day of school. Great book for a family to read together with their children. One of the child characters of this book was named Selena, which is my name.

[Victoria Peipert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good book idea for a middle schooler especially a boy. I love the main character Henry's ingenuity and the lens into a lower middle-glass family's lifestyle and the way a child may perceive their place in the community of their friends. I think overall it's a positive and enjoyable story but doesn't have a very strong arc or plot. It feels just like a short view into this young boys life for part of the summer.

[Amanda Sanders · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is supposed to be a realistic fiction elementary chapter book. I did not find it realistic. The fifth graders I knew were nothing like these fifth graders. There are chess geeks and rubiks cube geniuses and robotics fans. They enjoy laughing yoga with their teacher--my fifth graders would have eaten that teacher alive. The plot was also difficult to believe also.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really nice story about Henry who is finishing grade 5. His family is just making ends meet and his best friend has everything he wants. Henry learns to make do with what they have and to deal with mistakes he makes. I pre-read this book before giving it to my grand daughter to ensure it was appropriate and it is.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A fairly simple book geared toward a younger reader. Fifth grader Henry is starting his summer vacation and doesn't know what he is going to do. All the other school kids, including his best friend Max, are going to various camps while Henry is staying at home.

I imagine Henry feels the same way a lot of boys his age feel when his friends get to do things and he does not. In addition, his new baby brother is taking up his parents time and he at times feels neglected.

For a short book, I found it to actually drag on in parts. In addition, there were a few issues that never got resolved at the end. What is happening with Max? Are Henry & Max going to have their movie night? What's the deal with Gretchen? I found her to be a pointless character who showed up at times simply as a page filler.

Newer readers who aren't interested in plot/character development and simply want something to read will find that this fits their need, but this book is not likely to hold a reader looking for something more.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First-Reads

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Andrew Larsen novel for middle grade and early readers. Funny, original and inspirational!