The Doodles of Sam Dibble by J. Press (review)

Third-grader Sam is not an ideal student. He doodles in class instead of doing his work, sometimes copies from other kids, and has ongoing battles with class tattletale Max (“Wax”) Baxter. Determined to one-up Wax’s last party, Sam promises that pro wrestler Demo Dan will be at Sam’s upcoming party, but when the party comes and Demo Dan is a no-show, things get a bit dicey for Sam. When his grandpa’s forgotten cake in the oven catches fire, however, Demo Dan ends up at the party after all—in his other job as local fireman. Sam is a character to which many a middle-grade boy will readily relate. The writing, punctuated by numerous black and white, doodle-like illustrations, is quick-paced and funny in ways bound to tickle a middle-grades audience: “When Mr. Baxter [Wax’s dad, an undertaker] sees me, he always wants to slap five. But I know he just touched a dead person, so I tell him I just pooped in the toilet and didn’t wash my hands.” Sam’s third-grade voice is believable, and the loose, casual illustrations (which are supposed to be Sam’s) are also credible and humorous, if more skillfully rendered than the drawings of most third-graders. Doodle-based diary fiction is a popular trend, and kids not quite ready for Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series may find this new series bridges that gap.