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Reviewed by:
  • Dexter the Tough
  • Hope Morrison
Haddix, Margaret Peterson Dexter the Tough; illus. by Mark Elliott. Simon, 2007141p ISBN 1-4169-1159-6$15.99 R Gr. 3-5

Dexter's first day at his new school does not get off to a good start; within moments of arriving he decided that he hates the principal, the janitor, the secretary, and all the kids, and he punches a boy that he found crying in the restroom. When his teacher, Ms. Abbott, asks him to write something about himself, he turns in a paper that reads, "I'm the new kid. I am tuf. This morning I beat up a kid." As Dexter writes and rewrites the story and works with his teacher on the revisions, he comes to understand exactly what happened that first morning in the boys' room. He also seeks out his victim, a fellow fourth-grader named Robin who is also new to the school, and a somewhat cautious friendship begins between the two boys. Haddix's latest novel offers a thoughtful exploration of a young boy's coming to terms with inner rage (Dexter's been sent to stay with his grandmother in Kentucky so his parents could go to Seattle where his father, who suffers from a life-threatening bone marrow disease, can get treatment), while simultaneously beginning to understand his own motives. The story successfully involves the reader, who reconstructs the events along with Dexter and thus shares the experience of self-discovery with him. Robin serves effectively as an aid in Dexter's efforts to understand his own emotions, and his quiet assistance is well partnered with Dexter's visible rage. This is a moving story of a boy working through anger and sadness in circumstances beyond his control. Occasional pencil sketches are stodgy, but they offer a deeper glimpse into Dexter's world.

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