By Peter Hannan, Scholastic, Inc., $16.99, 225 pages
Davis Delaware wants to be in a band. The only problem is his lyrics keep offending people. Peter Hannan’s newest Young Adult chapter book is a wonderful reminder that kids will try just about anything to fit into a new situation. My Big Mouth: 10 Songs I Wrote That Almost Got Me Killed follows the adventures of Davis, a boy who has transferred halfway through his 9th grade year to attend Woodrow Wilson High. With the help of his new friend Edwin, he quickly learns that there is a bully out to get him and one very pretty girl Davis hopes to get himself. In order to impress her, he creates a band called the Amazing Dweebs.
Readers will find themselves rooting for Davis. Will he catch Molly’s attention? Hannan’s illustrations add magic to the story. Each page features something unique and quirky. Readers will run across mini-flip-books, detailed doodles and the lyrics to the songs that might get Davis and his big mouth killed.
This book has great potential to teach children about standing up to bullies and also how to succeed in a new situation. Enjoy this relevant and comical book. Good luck Davis!
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin