This delightful upper Elementary/lower Middle School title takes place in only one week -- punctuated by five days of the cafeteria menu. Ravi and Joe tell the tale in alternating chapters. It is the first week of school and each is struggling with 6th grade. Joe is an observant boy with a learning challenge. Ravi is a "new to America" immigrant who doesn't understand the cultural norms. There is, of course, a bully and there are some "lessons" which are clearly punctuated here and there but the story avoids cliché by being real. The inner voices of each boy are compelling and resonate. It is a great "point of view" book as the two boys learn to understand each other as they see the same events very differently. This is the kind of book kids will greatly enjoy and will identify with. Brava to both authors, who make the flow of the novel seamless.
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