Mr Cool

by Jacqueline Wilson

Ricky, Micky and Nicky want to be rock stars but have nowhere to practice, until Kevin offers his gran's basement. Kevin wants to be a rock star too. Unfortunately he can't sing or dance, but he proves to be an important part of the band.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens

Paperback

First published May 30, 1996

About the author

Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.

One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.

Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!

In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

Reviews

[Sadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about four young children that includes Ricky,Micky, Nicky who are all good at singing, dancing, and look cool and then there is Kevin who cant sing, cant dance, and doesn’t look cool. But all four of them want to become rock stars. They start a band in where they do not want to include Kevin but they are left with no choice but to include him. Kevin isn’t cool but he is the nicest of them all he reall encourages his team to achieve there best in becoming rock stars. The band gets famous and get offered a record deal, but the manager does not like Kevin and only says he will take on the remaining 3, but in the end Ricky,Micky and Nicky stand beside Kevin just like he did for them and tell the manager they will only stay if he takes on Kevin. The manager agrees and the story ends on the audience all cheering for Kevin as he is a wonderful boy.

This is a type of story I would share with a year 3 class due to its subject of becoming a Rock star. It would also be a good book to use in the first term, to help children build good friendships as the moral of the story is , that no matter what the person looks like from the outside it is the inside that matters. It can also create a disscusion on how we can be a good friend – ie be encouraging like Kevin was.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This easy reader for more advanced readers (kids who are very close to being ready for chapter books) has some great lessons and a plot that will resonate with today's kids, who all want to be famous. Three kids want to form a band. A fourth wants to join, even though he's not good at singing, dancing, or looking cool. The fourth (Kevin) has a place to practice, though, so the other three say OK. They end up sticking together when they hit it big. Sweet!

[BluJeans Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: "Mr. Cool: A Rockin' Adventure for Tiny Tots!"

Blurb:
"Ricky, Micky, and Nicky are on a quest for stardom, but there's one small hiccup—they need a place to jam. Enter Kevin and his grandma's basement, the unexpected HQ for their epic rock band dreams. Sure, Kevin may not have the voice of an angel or the moves of a dancing sensation, but he's about to prove that rock stardom has no rules! Get ready for a giggle-packed journey with 'Mr. Cool' by Jacqueline Wilson, a tale that rocks for children aged 5-8. 🎸✨"

Review:
Step into the world of 'Mr. Cool,' where rock stars are born, and basements become band sanctuaries. Aimed at the junior rock enthusiasts in the 5-8 age range, this book is not just a read; it's a backstage pass to hilarity!

Jacqueline Wilson hits the right notes with a rhythm of repetition, introducing kids to three powerhouse words – brilliant, terrific, and fantastic. Not only does this guarantee a joyous reading experience, but it also sneakily imparts essential spelling lessons. Who said learning can't be a blast?

And let's not forget the visual feast provided by Stephen Lewis' illustrations! Fun, not overly complicated, and bursting with vibrant colors, they add an extra layer of awesomeness to this rockin' adventure.

The plot swirls around a timeless dilemma: can you be a superstar without a dash of natural talent? 'Mr. Cool' tells us, heck yes! Through the power of friendship and a good ol' grandma's basement, Kevin proves that you don't need to hit the high notes to be a valuable part of the band.

The story not only resonates with the desire for fame but explores a more profound question – do you need to be cool to be accepted? 'Mr. Cool' unearths the treasure of loyalty, leaving readers with a grin as wide as Kevin's throughout the tale. 🤘😄

This book isn't just a rock and roll fantasy; it's a guide for tiny rebels navigating the complexities of coolness. So, parents, buckle up for a read that's more epic than a toddler mosh pit! #RockinReads #ChildrensBooks #KidLit #MrCoolAdventures 📚🎉

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked this up to read with a client who loved the word cool. I think this is a great book for young readers.

The copyright says 1996 and I cringed at the sentence ‘Mr. Rich groomed the boys for stardom.’ But I read it aloud as ‘Mr. Rich got the boys ready for stardom.’

Learner liked it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Think lower ability readers would enjoy due to repetition of text. Not sure on comment about a man grooming the group of boys but that just shows you how society has changed

[Jordan filby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it unnecessarily repetitive but it was sweet

[Hiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

i hate it

[Nadina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jacqueline Wilson and as with most of her work this is a great story. As I didn't look into it much, just wanting to read all of her work, this is a short book for younger readers.
It is a great way to get children into Jacqueline Wilson.