Bogus: Book 2

Aldo Zelnick #2

by Karla Oceanak, Kendra Spanjer (Illustrator)

Wimpy Kid and Dork Diary fans, meet Aldo Zelnick!

Ten-year-old Aldo Zelnick has decided it’s fun to be artistic, and when his grandma Goosy gives him a second sketchbook, Aldo fills it with more comic drawings, fun words, and accounts of his extraordinary adventures in everyday life.

When Aldo and his best friends, Jack and Bee, find a diamond ring, they can't decide if it’s real or fake; but real or not, they can't seem to hold on to it. As the trio hunts for the misplaced ring, they also learn about other countries and cultures.

This second installment in an A-to-Z alphabet series includes a glossary of words to help kids broaden their vocabulary.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Childrens, Realistic Fiction, Middle Grade

149 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2010

About the author

Karla Oceanak is the author of the Aldo Zelnick Comic Novel Series, which has been honored with a Colorado Book Award, a Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Regional Book Award, an IndieNext selection, and other accolades. She has worked as a writer and editor for more than twenty years and has authored more than 100 books, some of which have been translated into Chinese, Korean, and Hebrew. Karla and her husband, Scott, live in Colorado with their three teenage boys in a house strewn with ping-pong balls, cell phone chargers, video games, books, and dirty socks.

Reviews

[Mary T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of these books! I love the vocabulary interspersed and at the back. I also liked the storyline in this one better than in the first.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

REVIEWED January 1, 2011
Rating: Additional Selection
Recommended Grade Levels: 3-8

Aldo and Jack find what they think is a fake diamond ring. When they learn there is a $1,000 reward for its return, they cannot find it. They deduce that it is in the cake Aldo's father baked for the neighborhood party, so they must wait to collect the reward. This second title in the Aldo Zelnick comic novel series focuses on words that begin with the letter "b." It is similar in format to Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books (Abrams Books for Young Readers) but falls short on humor and subtext. Spanjer's black and white watercolor with ink illustrations are cartoony, but the total effort pales in comparison to Kinney's works. This book might be useful for beginning chapter book readers.

[American Mensa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This funny, fiction book starts when a boy named Aldo Zelnick and his best friend, Jack, find a mysterious ring. Aldo thinks it is a bogus ring, but when they accidentally lose the ring, they find an article in the newspaper about a lost diamond ring fitting the description of the ring they found. They discover that the ring was a real diamond ring and there’s a big cash reward for its return! There is a race to find the ring…before Tommy Geller, the neighborhood bully, does. Will they find the ring? Or will Tommy Geller get to it first?
Throughout the book, Aldo, who got a sketch book from his grandma, creates a comic strip about a superhero named Bacon Boy. He does this to make himself rich and famous like Charles Shultz, the creator of The Peanuts. Bacon Boy’s adventures are humorous and come with other silly characters.
I think others ages 6-12 would like this book because it is a comical book. It has wonderful, black-and-white illustrations. The book has fancy vocabulary words and includes a dictionary in the back to help explain what the words mean.
I give this book five stars because I think this book is really funny, makes me laugh, and has a bit of mystery, which I love.
review by Lila H., age 9, Central PA Mensa

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a teacher I know that one thing my students hate is vocabulary. This book is the perfect answer. It shows them that vocabulary doesn't have to be boring. It can actually be fun. Aldo is given a second sketch book from his Grandma Goosy. He begins to fill it with his drawings, adventures and most importantly to me his fabulous "B" vocabulary words. In this story Aldo and his best friend
Jack find a diamond ring in the gutter while playing kick the rock. Aldo throws it back because he thinks it is fake. Jack retrieves it. Then Aldo loses it and learns it is real. Now he is on a mission to find the ring. I didn't read the first book in the series "Artsy Fartsy". I will however purchase the first one and the next one "Cahoots". I know the perfect students to recommend this book to. This is a book that kids who like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" will enjoy.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kids loved this one as much as the first and asked if there was another one, so we'll be moving on to "C." I like the glossary at the end and all the great "b" vocab words, such as 'bodacious,'bludgeon,' and 'bilious.' It's so natural the way Oceanak teaches kids these new words. My kids--especially my 2nd grader loves to guess what the word means before we look it up in the back of the book. Another one of my favorite things about this series it that it takes place in Colorado--in the book Aldo's grandmother takes him to Boulder to tour a tea factory. I loved being able to tell my kids that that place actually exists and you can go there for a tour. I'm hoping there will be more of this in subsequent books and if something sparks an interest in one of the kids, we will actually be able to go there!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok, and I think the boy I bought it for will like it enough, but I think the "message" of the book is a little heavy-handed. Apparently the publisher is releasing books with "something to say." It's also proud to advertise this series as: "vitamin-fortified Wimpy Kids."

I get that teaching vocabulary is important, and there are lots of words scattered through the text that are then explained in a glossary. I just don't think there's anything wrong with Wimpy Kids - why must every book have a moral or educational lesson.

Anyway, I did like parts of the book, especially the bacon character created by the main character. I won't pick up any others, though.

[melissa1lbr]

I enjoyed this second book in Aldo Selznik's journaling experiences. I like the illustrations and the funny parts. I especially like the definitions at the end, which are full of laughs too. I don't think it has quite the appeal of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, but will still be enjoyable for that crowd. It has just a touch too much of an adult writing for kids feel. Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.

[katsok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoying this new series. I think it the perfect MG book. I enjoy Aldo and think several of my boys will connect with him. In this book Aldo and his friend, Jack, find a diamond ring. Aldo loses it by accident only to find out it's real and has a $1000 reward to the person who finds it. So begins their search for the ring. Once again there are Aldo's drawings and journal entries detailing the story. The last book had a glossary of "A" words in the back. This one has a glossary of the great "B" words Aldo learns. A fun read.

[Halley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aldo Zelnick wrote and illustrated Bogus sketch book. It's not really bogus it's actually kinda cool...but he called it Bogus because his best friend { a.k.a. Jack} and him found a ring which he thought was bogus, but it turned out to be real-a bona fide dimond. And there was A 1,000 DOLLAR REWARD!! Too bad he lost the ring before he knew about the reward. So then Jack,Bee and him tried to find it again ... before Tommy Geller did.Look for the bodacious B words and illustrated word gallery at the back of the book.

[Russ Bruxvoort · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable, but not totally my cup of tea. I appreciate that the characters are not rude, sarcastic, or girl-crazy. I really like that the setting is Fort Collins, my hometown. I am not a fan of karma being the reason to do what is right. I liked the vocabulary words and the definitions in the back-some were quite funny. I will read more from this series as I search for quality graphic novels.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Aldo's summer continues in this book with an exciting mystery of where the "Bogus" diamond ring disappears to. I liked this book which follows the same set up as the first in the series except focuses on the letter B. I would recommend this book to any child learning to read and expand their vocabulary.

[Jackie O'hara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another home run from Bailiwick Press - or should I say a "ringer." Bogus (http://www.bailiwickpress.com/node/41) is a great adventure with a message of good karma and helping those less fortunate. Can't wait to share copies with my little Aldo followers.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my third grade RtI guys. They LOVED it! I had one student who would come to class, grab his book, get a seat, and read the entire 30 minutes. This series is the best thing for boy readers!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second book in the Aldo Zelnick series. They are fun, the 3rd graders loved them at school this year. My daughter is loving them and insisting I read them, too. Aside from the vocab the message in the book is great!

[Carmen]

Loved every minute of BOGUS! Read it all in one sitting as I couldn't put it down! Looking forward to this spring's release of Aldo's next adventures!

[SmokeyPookie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caitlin enjoyed reading it once at age 7, but won't re-read it. Ian(9) read the first one in the series, but didn't care to read this one.

[Jeniffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is goood

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bogus is a charming graphic novel about a boy who discovers that a ring he found and lost was a real diamond ring, not a bogus ring as he thought. He needs to find the ring to win the $1000 reward.

[STARK · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was really funny they lost a ring and it was a really good book!

[MCPLD Youth Department · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked "Diary of a Wimpy Kid," you will also like this Also Zelnick series.