My Life in Smiley (Book 3 in Smiley series): Save Me!

Ma vie en Smiley #3

by Anne Kalicky

Max is off to summer camp and ready to fill his journal with hilarious middle-school wisdom in this third installment of the My Life in Smiley  series that is illustrated with the internationally recognized emoticons of the SmileyWorld brand.

Age 8-12 Grade 3rd and up

Max is in trouble, SOS trouble, he's a prisoner in the middle of nowhere. His journal is the conclusive evidence that the next two weeks at summer camp are going to be absolutely miserable . . . or not! His parents signed him up to give him some “independence,” but all it’s given him so far is bug bites! It's super hot, he's got no video games, no salt and vinegar chips, and—worst of all—no friends. He even has to pretend to have fun and participate in activities! But despite all that, his roomies are cool, this girl Clara is kinda pretty, and he found a mysterious diary. . . .
 

208 pages, Hardcover

First published November 2, 2017

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this, the third book in the series, protagonist Max is riding high after a solid finish to his seventh grade year. He even has a girlfriend. But his parents throw him for a loop after they send him off to summer camp. Max is totally not into the idea of camping and spending time with strangers, and he uses a calendar to keep track of the days until he will be free once more. But of course, as most readers know from their own personal experiences, camp can grow on someone, and before Max knows it, he's dreading having to leave. There are the usual camp songs and pranks and a budding romance with Clara, another camper, as well as some bad news from the folks back home. There is much use of yellow, smiley emoticons, and simple drawings, and the lessons imparted here are important for middle grade readers. It all goes down smoothly because of the humor and the voice used to tell the story through Max's journal.

[J.L. Slipak · Rating 4 out of 5]

MY THOUGHTS:

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

We’re onto the third book of this series which I’ve enjoyed reading thoroughly. This series is fun, innovative, often laugh out loud worthy. I’ve been enjoying this series with great anticipation for the next book in it to come out.

Max is growing, his world is changing and now… he’s off to summer camp and like most pre-teens grumbles and complains about going until he gets there. Full of relatable moments, silly antics and fun loving mischief Max is enriching his horizons in a way that only Max can. Book two was a bit more exciting, but this book does have its moments making it worthy to continue looking forward to the next books in the series.