Trouble to the Max

Trouble at Table 5 #5

by Tom Watson, Marta Kissi (Illustrator)

From the author of Stick Dog comes the fifth book in a highly illustrated early chapter book series about three best friends whose plans, missions, and schemes are sure to shake up their school.

Time out! Simon got Max Brutus’s prized World Cup soccer ball stuck in the tallest tree in Picasso Park! Now he’s in more trouble than a tater tot in ketchup. Can his friends at Table 5 help him get the ball before the big game? Or has Simon’s luck maxed out?

HarperChapters build confident readers one chapter at a time! With short, fast-paced books, art on every page, and milestone markers at the end of every chapter, they're the perfect next step for fans of I Can Read!

Genres: Childrens, Friendship

96 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 27, 2021

About the author

Tom is the author and draws the original sketches for all the Stick Dog stories. He lives in Chicago with his wife, daughter and son. They also have a dog named Shadow. Tom did not want to name the dog Shadow. He wanted to name him ‘Put Your Shirt On.’ It’s a long story. Sometimes when Tom is visiting schools, he shares the story.

Tom’s first jobs out of college were in politics. He worked for U.S. Senator John Glenn and as the Chief Speechwriter for the Governor of Ohio. He has also worked in marketing and advertising. He likes writing books for kids a lot more than writing speeches and other things for grown-ups. He thinks kids are way smarter than grown-ups.

He LOVES writing the Stick Dog adventures.

Reviews

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

6/18/2023 ~ Again, cool problem solving with a tricky problem, including a (maybe) bully.

This series has an interesting feature of reading encouragement: after each chapter, there is a box colored in to show the number of chapters completed and how many words the reader has read. I found this annoying, since I'd rather have the focus on an enjoyment of the story and characters (emotional, not numeric.) When I started Book 2, I was wishing that there had been 1-2 pages to introduce the characters, as so many early chapter books have.

The books do celebrate the unique (and quirky) characteristics of each child:
Molly (presents as white; narrator) - MUST have things in even numbers, counts everything.
Rosie (light brown skin tone) - excels at science; she also LOVES maps and can remember many details about towns.
Simon (presents as white) - ??? Has to TALK about things as they enter his head.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: We had only been in our seats for a couple of minutes on Monday morning when Mr. Willow called from the front of the classroom, "Table 5!"

Premise/plot: Simon, Rosie, and Molly are table 5. This is the fifth book in the series. In this one, Simon has a BIG problem. Simon borrowed a soccer ball from a classmate, Max, and he kicked it into the tallest tree in the park. Can Simon and his friends work together to find a way to get the ball down before Max finds out what happened?

My thoughts: Simon, Rosie, and Molly are super close friends who work together always to solve each other's problems. They have a way of brainstorming their way out of trouble. I liked the friendship elements.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The three friends return and help Simon retrieve a classmate's soccer ball from the tall pine tree in the park. Plenty of humor as they interact in the classroom, lunch and after school at the park. This series continues to present the trio as capable young people who view the world through different angles.
The short chapter style works well for readers who need a bit of encouragement. Along the way, readers see a word count at several points and a reminder how many chapters they have read. Terrific reinforcement for struggling readers. Short informative text challenges at the end as well.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t appreciate the food shaming in this one. I hope the next installments focus more on Simon’s strengths. So far, my kid is under the impression that kids like Simon (and him by extension) just mess things up and have bad ideas.

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

87 pgs. This time the kids are trying to help Simon who has borrowed a soccer ball from another boy and accidentally got it stuck in a tall tree. They come up with all kinds of solutions. Kids will enjoy this one. Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.

[Carol Cobb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally entertaining.

Charming believable characters. A puzzling plot and challenging solutions. Kindness, consideration come to play in this fast moving tale showing friends helping friends and the results thereof.