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Sam Krupnik #2
Attaboy, Sam!
Planning to give his mother a perfume made from her favorite smells, Sam Krupnik collects his father's pipe, chicken soup, and a soiled tissue from the baby and stashes everything in his toybox. Reprint.
116 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1992
44 people are currently reading
290 people want to read
About the author
Lois Lowry
145 books22.9k followersTaken from Lowry's website:
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
"I’ve always felt that I was fortunate to have been born the middle child of three. My older sister, Helen, was very much like our mother: gentle, family-oriented, eager to please. Little brother Jon was the only boy and had interests that he shared with Dad; together they were always working on electric trains and erector sets; and later, when Jon was older, they always seemed to have their heads under the raised hood of a car. That left me in-between, and exactly where I wanted most to be: on my own. I was a solitary child who lived in the world of books and my own vivid imagination.
Because my father was a career military officer - an Army dentist - I lived all over the world. I was born in Hawaii, moved from there to New York, spent the years of World War II in my mother’s hometown: Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and from there went to Tokyo when I was eleven. High school was back in New York City, but by the time I went to college (Brown University in Rhode Island), my family was living in Washington, D.C.
I married young. I had just turned nineteen - just finished my sophomore year in college - when I married a Naval officer and continued the odyssey that military life requires. California. Connecticut (a daughter born there). Florida (a son). South Carolina. Finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, when my husband left the service and entered Harvard Law School (another daughter; another son) and then to Maine - by now with four children under the age of five in tow. My children grew up in Maine. So did I. I returned to college at the University of Southern Maine, got my degree, went to graduate school, and finally began to write professionally, the thing I had dreamed of doing since those childhood years when I had endlessly scribbled stories and poems in notebooks.
After my marriage ended in 1977, when I was forty, I settled into the life I have lived ever since. Today I am back in Cambridge, Massachusetts, living and writing in a house dominated by a very shaggy Tibetan Terrier named Bandit. For a change of scenery Martin and I spend time in Maine, where we have an old (it was built in 1768!) farmhouse on top of a hill. In Maine I garden, feed birds, entertain friends, and read...
My books have varied in content and style. Yet it seems that all of them deal, essentially, with the same general theme: the importance of human connections. A Summer to Die, my first book, was a highly fictionalized retelling of the early death of my sister, and of the effect of such a loss on a family. Number the Stars, set in a different culture and era, tells the same story: that of the role that we humans play in the lives of our fellow beings.
The Giver - and Gathering Blue, and the newest in the trilogy: Messenger - take place against the background of very different cultures and times. Though all three are broader in scope than my earlier books, they nonetheless speak to the same concern: the vital need of people to be aware of their interdependence, not only with each other, but with the world and its environment.
My older son was a fighter pilot in the United States Air Force. His death in the cockpit of a warplane tore away a piece of my world. But it left me, too, with a wish to honor him by joining the many others trying to find a way to end conflict on this very fragile earth.
I am a grandmother now. For my own grandchildren - and for all those of their generation - I try, through writing, to convey my passionate awareness that we live intertwined on this planet and that our future depends upon our caring more, and doing more, for one another."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
November 17, 2021
I think this is a fun for young audiences. Very easy read. Nothing too serious. If you enjoy kids’ books, you might enjoy this one.
September 22, 2022
This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom.
In his second book, Sam Krupnik wants to give his mother a birthday gift so wonderful that she won't be able to help but say, "Attaboy, Sam!" He decides to concoct a perfume consisting of all of Mrs. Krupnik's favorite smells, but does not count on the chemical reaction this will cause in the toy box where he mixes the potion.
Like Anastasia Ask Your Analyst (the book where Anastasia and Sam hide a family of gerbils from their mother) this story is laugh-out-loud funny. Sam's earnest tone and good intentions will make the readers sympathize with his desire to please his mom, but also make them nervous, as they will be able to guess at the inevitably messy outcome of his project. There is also much to be learned about smells - and about Mrs. Krupnik's character - from reading this book.
I think Attaboy Sam would be a perfect first chapter book to read aloud to a kindergartener or first grader and also a good family read-aloud for kids of varying ages. Even parents can appreciate Sam's antics, even if only because they are grateful not to have such a "creative" child themselves! Unlike many other series, whose quality tapers off with each successive volume, this one soldiers on through volume after volume without faltering. There are only three books left about the Krupniks, and I think I'll be sad to be finished.
In his second book, Sam Krupnik wants to give his mother a birthday gift so wonderful that she won't be able to help but say, "Attaboy, Sam!" He decides to concoct a perfume consisting of all of Mrs. Krupnik's favorite smells, but does not count on the chemical reaction this will cause in the toy box where he mixes the potion.
Like Anastasia Ask Your Analyst (the book where Anastasia and Sam hide a family of gerbils from their mother) this story is laugh-out-loud funny. Sam's earnest tone and good intentions will make the readers sympathize with his desire to please his mom, but also make them nervous, as they will be able to guess at the inevitably messy outcome of his project. There is also much to be learned about smells - and about Mrs. Krupnik's character - from reading this book.
I think Attaboy Sam would be a perfect first chapter book to read aloud to a kindergartener or first grader and also a good family read-aloud for kids of varying ages. Even parents can appreciate Sam's antics, even if only because they are grateful not to have such a "creative" child themselves! Unlike many other series, whose quality tapers off with each successive volume, this one soldiers on through volume after volume without faltering. There are only three books left about the Krupniks, and I think I'll be sad to be finished.
May 15, 2018
I loved this book. I was laughing at the mention of a Walkman.
April 17, 2020
Is the plural of a Sony Walkman device "Walkmen"? This book seems to think so.
Likable characters in a heartwarming story but the ending defied all reasonable explanation; implausible.
Suspension of belief about the laws of physics and the fact that Sam's mother seems not to notice really bad smells in the house is required.
But Lois Lowry gives young Sam wonderful depth of character.
4 stars because Sam is just so cute.
Likable characters in a heartwarming story but the ending defied all reasonable explanation; implausible.
Suspension of belief about the laws of physics and the fact that Sam's mother seems not to notice really bad smells in the house is required.
But Lois Lowry gives young Sam wonderful depth of character.
4 stars because Sam is just so cute.
March 1, 2018
Lois Lowry is an incredibly talented children’s author, but I’m not much of a fan of this entry. Yes, Sam is just as endearing, and I enjoy how Lowry shows his growth into the preschool-age era. The story is enjoyable and well written, but it doesn’t seem to have quite the same flair as the original (All About Sam). I also don’t appreciate a few lines that are inappropriate for a children’s book. If you’re a huge fan of Lowry or the character Sam, it’s worth at least one read. But if you’re more of casual reader just wanting to dive into classic children’s literature, I’d pass on this one and just read the original. Or, you could always read The Giver or Number the Stars, which are among Lowry’s more famous works.
June 12, 2020
Attaboy, Sam! By Lois Lowry shows the ingenuity of the young. It also shows how families can get along and help one another. Lowry has a knack for understanding the mindset of the young.
The Krupnik family needs to make homemade birthday gifts for Mom’s birthday at the end of the week. The main protagonist is Sam, who attends nursery school. The reader watches Sam create something he feels his mother will love, but the reader also understands the logic behind Sam’s choices. We realize how intelligent Sam is as he helps his older sister Anastasia with her homemade gift for Mom. Attaboy, Sam! By Lois Lowry is a delightful read.
The Krupnik family needs to make homemade birthday gifts for Mom’s birthday at the end of the week. The main protagonist is Sam, who attends nursery school. The reader watches Sam create something he feels his mother will love, but the reader also understands the logic behind Sam’s choices. We realize how intelligent Sam is as he helps his older sister Anastasia with her homemade gift for Mom. Attaboy, Sam! By Lois Lowry is a delightful read.
April 29, 2021
My nine year old son and I were laughing so hard at the end of this book that I honestly feared for my vitals. We stayed up late to finish it and that added to the silliness, I’m sure, but honestly the end of this book is so clever and hysterical in the delivery. I’ll be giggling myself to sleep tonight. I keep having little aftershocks of laughter and bugging him, but I can’t help it.
August 24, 2019
I wonder if families read these aloud together? My library copy of this is pretty worn out, but who is reading it? The experts' assumption is that children "read up" but this must be for at least age 8+, much older than Sam. I bet the experts are wrong... I bet this has a universal appeal.
January 4, 2017
Sam is a cute kid and perfect little brother for Anastasia. Category: realistic juvie fiction. Loving the interaction and laughing moments in this family.
July 27, 2017
Read this aloud with both kids - delightful. This was perfect for AJ. Sweet family connections and a lot of humor. He immediately wanted to read the other books in the series.
August 29, 2017
It was cute.
August 11, 2020
i didn’t care for it as much as i did for “All About Sam”
August 13, 2020
Ok, this one is HILARIOUS.
August 23, 2022
Another winner in the series! The Krupniks were like the Bluey before Bluey was a thing. When both the adults and kids want to keep reading a series in our house, joyful memories and jokes ensue.
September 30, 2022
Read aloud. I remember this was one of my faves as a kid, and it brought back such good memories.
September 22, 2023
A really fun style. More funny for older kids than Lucy’s age tho
January 6, 2018
2.5 stars
Honestly, this book is very forgettable. I am writing this review less than two weeks after finishing and I already forgot that I read it. I think even if I had read this as a kid, I would have found it boring. There is really nothing that sticks out in my mind, no characters or plot points which will stick with me. This book is fine if you want to give kids an easy, light read to start them off, but its not really a classic like some other beginning-to-read chapter books with more compelling characters (like Horrible Harry, or Amelia Bedelia or The Magic Tree house, or anything by Judy Bloom.)
Honestly, this book is very forgettable. I am writing this review less than two weeks after finishing and I already forgot that I read it. I think even if I had read this as a kid, I would have found it boring. There is really nothing that sticks out in my mind, no characters or plot points which will stick with me. This book is fine if you want to give kids an easy, light read to start them off, but its not really a classic like some other beginning-to-read chapter books with more compelling characters (like Horrible Harry, or Amelia Bedelia or The Magic Tree house, or anything by Judy Bloom.)
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September 22, 2016In this book, Attaboy Sam by Lois Lowry, there's this boy named sam. He lives with his mom, dad,and his sister Anastasia. Sam's mom's birthday is coming up, and he wants to make the perfect gift for her. He thought he should make her, her own homemade perfume. Sam figures out throughout the book some of his mom's favorite smells. He puts them in plastic bags, and then takes them to his room to his chest box (which he calls his lab) and adds them to form the perfume. Anastasia had a similar idea and was working on something special also. His room smelled so bad after awhile ,but he thought it would smell better later when he finished. Sam didn't allow anyone in his room because they would find out what he was up to. After a while he noticed that the perfume was making a bubbly noise. He thought that was normal, so he ignored it. His mom's birthday comes, and his sister and dad come into sam's room to show each other there gifts. The perfume had done something very out of the ordinary. They decided to do one big gift together, and it was sam's idea. So after dinner they presented their gift to her in a unusual way, but a very special way.
The character I chose for this was Sam, sam has bushy blond hair and green eyes. Well he changes through the book in a different way. In the beginning of the book he was a little self centered and selfish. Towards the end of the book he matured and thought about other people and other people's feelings. In which way in the beginning of the book he was focused on his present and nothing else and at the end he helped his sister and dad with there and forgot about his.
Well I really enjoyed this book. It was a little childish but it had big words in there that my mom couldn't even pronounce. I liked the choice in vocabulary the author gave Sam. I liked how the family got along, as I read about it and thought ¨there is no way there is a real family like that.¨ I really liked how the authors described the characters and I mean the pictures in the book here and there really helped me visualize it better. Some things I disliked about the book , was that it was a little cheesy in some parts of the book. I also didn't like how the author decided to make the mom that type of mom who corrects their language like its not can I it's may I . That bothered me but beside that i really enjoyed the book.
The character I chose for this was Sam, sam has bushy blond hair and green eyes. Well he changes through the book in a different way. In the beginning of the book he was a little self centered and selfish. Towards the end of the book he matured and thought about other people and other people's feelings. In which way in the beginning of the book he was focused on his present and nothing else and at the end he helped his sister and dad with there and forgot about his.
Well I really enjoyed this book. It was a little childish but it had big words in there that my mom couldn't even pronounce. I liked the choice in vocabulary the author gave Sam. I liked how the family got along, as I read about it and thought ¨there is no way there is a real family like that.¨ I really liked how the authors described the characters and I mean the pictures in the book here and there really helped me visualize it better. Some things I disliked about the book , was that it was a little cheesy in some parts of the book. I also didn't like how the author decided to make the mom that type of mom who corrects their language like its not can I it's may I . That bothered me but beside that i really enjoyed the book.
September 24, 2008
Sam is back in his second book and he's got a plan. His mother's birthday is coming up and she only wants homemade gifts. When Sam finds out that her favorite perfume has been discontinued, he decides that he will make her a new one, with all of her favorite scents. He collects easy things like a pipe and chicken soup. The smell of a new baby is harder, but Sam figures it out. The only problem is that the perfume doesn't quite smell like he had hoped. And it's doing some funny things like bubbling. What will he do since it's his big secret?
I enjoyed this Sam book quite a bit. The ending made me laugh out loud like the best Anastasia books. Lois Lowry has done it again and nailed the voice of a child. I'm not sure how she does it, but I'm so glad that she has the gift.
I enjoyed this Sam book quite a bit. The ending made me laugh out loud like the best Anastasia books. Lois Lowry has done it again and nailed the voice of a child. I'm not sure how she does it, but I'm so glad that she has the gift.
February 25, 2011
I thought this book was quite clever when I was younger. I don't see why I didn't feel that same attachment now.
I thought Sam's antics were sweet and cute. Him trying to make a perfume for his mother's birthday by collecting various things and whatnot. I liked his concern and care for his mother. The ending was weird, though. I was expecting a nicer ending.
I was surprised to learn that Lois Lowry, the same author who wrote The Giver, wrote this book. I guess it isn't this book's fault. Maybe I've just outgrown it. I was set on giving this book a one, but I've gotta hand it to Sam for really being determined to give his mom a great homemade birthday present.
I thought Sam's antics were sweet and cute. Him trying to make a perfume for his mother's birthday by collecting various things and whatnot. I liked his concern and care for his mother. The ending was weird, though. I was expecting a nicer ending.
I was surprised to learn that Lois Lowry, the same author who wrote The Giver, wrote this book. I guess it isn't this book's fault. Maybe I've just outgrown it. I was set on giving this book a one, but I've gotta hand it to Sam for really being determined to give his mom a great homemade birthday present.
September 18, 2014
Lowry handles a preschooler's perspective with both humor and compassion. She never makes Sam an object of fun and does a great job of representing his inner thoughts and emotions to the reader. In this book, Sam's heartfelt effort to come up with a birthday gift for his mother is the main storyline, and the mishaps along the way are resolved in a funny and sweet ending.
I'm finding the Sam books to be great read-alouds for my 5-year-old (and my almost 9-year-old usually finds his way onto the couch to listen too).
I'm finding the Sam books to be great read-alouds for my 5-year-old (and my almost 9-year-old usually finds his way onto the couch to listen too).
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June 21, 2016Sam wanted to make a homemade gift for his mother's birthday, so he collected everything she liked and put that in one container hoping it would make a nice smelling perfume. Unfortunately, it backfired and became so smelly, he could hardly stand it. His dad and sister attempted a homemade gift as well but theirs failed also. So at the end, they gave his mother a surprise the whole family would enjoy.
September 5, 2007
Sam wants to make a special gift for his mother’s birthday and decides to make some perfume for her. Whenever he hears her mention a smell she particularly enjoys, he puts it into his perfume bottle. The only problem is that the combination of aromas is starting to smell, well, pretty funky. This book had me literally rolling and holding my stomach from laughing.
April 1, 2011
In the second book of the Sam Krupnik series, Sam tries to make his mother a birthday present, with disastrous results. Young people will be entertained by the antics of Sam. Older readers will admire the author's ability to write in the first person with a true child's voice. This is a good book to read to kids at bedtime.
October 24, 2014
I always LOVED this book as a kid, and reading it again as an adult was just as enjoyable. I still found myself giggling as Sam gathered his perfume supplies, and again each time Anastasia recited her awful, awful poem.
I have to give this 5 stars due to my childhood love for it, and for how much I still loved it now. It's held up surprisingly well!
I have to give this 5 stars due to my childhood love for it, and for how much I still loved it now. It's held up surprisingly well!
January 14, 2013
Well, once I start something, I may as well finish it. This is a worthy sequel to All About Sam. It's a bit more focused than the last, but then again four/five year olds are more focused than, say, infants.
June 7, 2016
I always wanted to join the Krupnik family when I was reading and re-reading all the Anastasia books as a teenager, and found those same feelings coming back as I read this one aloud to my little boys. They enjoyed it and so did I.
August 29, 2008
I don't remember when we read this but it had to be somewhere b/t the ages of 5 and 8. It is a funny story!
December 10, 2008
Cute but far more contrived than the Anastasia books. Sam's voice is pretty authentic, however, and I do like his mom.
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January 28, 2009JAR4-Low
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews