Reviewed by Bobbie Grob for Readers' Favorite

While I tend to skip over books aimed at elementary school students, Adventures of a Mad 6th Grader by Stephen Zanzucchi caught my attention and demanded to be read. The book centers around Frank, the mad sixth-grader in question, and the two main problems in his life: the school bully uses Frank as his own personal punching bag, and the girl of Frank’s dreams doesn’t even realize he exists. The one thing Frank has going for him is that he’s smart. Not just smart, but incredibly smart. The plan he hatches to take care of his bully and win the heart of his girl in one fell swoop is a little weird, a little over-the-top, and definitely funny. I believe the elementary school set will love Frank and his wild adventures.

I’ve been an educator for several years, and I have never met a student quite like Frank. He is funny, brilliant, and resourceful, and his schemes are off the charts. The fact that these seemingly hare-brained plans actually work – let’s have a moment of silence for Fluffy here, please – make Adventures of a Mad 6th Grader one fun read. It is a quick read as the book is fairly short and there are pictures on many of the pages, but children will find in Frank an unlikely hero. If Frank survives the sixth grade, there’s no telling what the boy will do next. No matter what it is, however, you can bet it’s going to be magnificent.