"[.......... a classic book for modern kids." --Suite 101: Book Reviews
"PV Lundqvist has written a wonderful book." --Jandy's Books
"Would be a huge hit among fourth to seventh graders." -- Literary Sojourn
Here's the set-up for Not Just For Breakfast Anymore:
Benny wants a pet-a dog or a cat. You know, the kind of pet every else has. But other kids don't have his mom. She likes to do things differently. So Benny doesn't know what to expect when he first opens the pet carrier. Certainly not that his neighbors will want to kick his family out of town-he just got here! And he was just about to make the baseball team, too. Will he fight for his pet or back down?
Editor's Note: If you absolutely need an adult's take on a kid's book, few have better credentials for writing about "Not Just For Breakfast Anymore" than D. Blankenship. Not only is he a respected reviewer, as evidenced by his badge as a Vine Voice reader and a Top 100 Amazon Reviewer, he's a substitute teacher. And to cap it off, he and his wife were among the first in the US to breed and raise Vietnamese Potbellied Pigs. Here's what he has to say:
What a delightful read this one was.
Young Benny is not ordinary and common, you see. Well anyway, on his birthday Benny indeed does receive a new pet, not a cat, not a dog, not even a cool big lizard; no, no, no...a Vietnamese Potbellied pig no less!
And so we are instantly drawn into the life of Benny, a kid who wants what normal kids his age want; acceptance, making the baseball team, no hassles from bullies and of course a dog. Like real life though, not all always turns out the way our young lad would like. There seems to be trouble from every direction. There is of course the acceptance factor, relationships with family members and life's lessons to be learned.
This is a well told tale of growing up; of being at that very strange and difficult age when a boy is leaving childhood behind and is learning to join the adult world. The author has skillfully woven family, school, community, friends, baseball, rivals, and of course pets into a story which is quite often full of humor, often filled with the anxieties of growing up, and above all, the lessons learned during this difficult period in the maturation process of us all. But make no mistake; not all is grim life. This writer has a keen sense of humor and it shines through on almost ever page.
Lundqvist has gotten his characters down perfectly as well as the relationship between these various characters as the story progresses...including that of the pig. . The reader will be able to absolutely identify with not only the characters but also the dilemmas and situations as they pop up in young Benny's life.
Strong plot, good and believable characters, crisp prose and a story line that moves; what more could you want in a book? --Don Blankenship
PV Lundqvist is a writer and father living in Wakefield, Massachusetts. He loves his kids, pet pigs and baseball--in that order. You can follow him on twitter (pvlundqvist), or read his blog http://pvlundqvist.blogspot.com/
And here, in the comfort of your own browser, is your free sample:
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