No redeeming qualities to this book
I thought, after reading the description and some of the reviews, that at least there would be something positive to counteract Alexander's bad experiences throughout the day. The only trace of anything positive is at the very end of the book when it mentions that even in Australia some days are bad too.
This child has everything going wrong for him, from the time he got up in the morning...gum in hair, tripped on his skateboard, didn't get a toy in his breakfast cereal when his brothers did. He thinks he'll move to Australia.
On the way to school he doesn't get a window seat. At school the teacher liked someone else's picture of a sailboat over Alexander's invisible castle (he didn't draw anything). He left out the number 16 at counting time. He "could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day."
And on it goes. So far, his complaints are fairly innoculous. This kind of stuff can happen to any kid, but his behavior begins escalating into bad behavior. "I hope you sit on a tack, I said to Paul. I hope the next time you get a double-decker strawberry ice-cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia."
More everyday "bad" stuff happens to him--he didn't get dessert in his lunch, a trip to the dentist reveals a cavity. Then at the car his brother made him fall and his other brother calls him a crybaby--so he punches him.
He makes a mess at his father's office. He hates lima beans (served at dinner). He hates kissing (saw it on TV). Bath was too hot. Soap in his eyes. Hates his pajamas. Goes to bed thinking of his terrible day, and his mom assures him some days are like that, even in Australia.
The whole thing is so negative. He's a grouch. Why should I read this to my child? (too late, I already did, but never again)
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