Ellray Jakes is a Rock Star

Ellray Jakes is a Rock Star
Sally Warner
Viking, 2011
116 pages
Grades 2-5
Realistic Fiction

Ellray Jakes series #2

As the shortest kid in his third grade class, Ellray Jakes feels that he needs to prove himself. One of his classmates is rich and another has a Dad with a new red ATV with flame details. All Ellray can say about his Dad is that he is a geologist and teaches about rocks at a college. Borrrrrring--or is it? Since Dad is away at a conference, Ellray has a great idea. He borrow some of Dad's special crystals from his study to bring to school to show the class. That will impress everybody, right? Ellray's plan seems to work. The class is duly impressed with the sparkly stones and crystals. It all goes wrong when after school kids ask to hold the precious stone and Ellray finds himself giving Dad's collection away. Once back home, Ellray rearranges Dad's study so he won't notice. Back early from the conference, Dad notices pretty much right away. What should Ellray do? Lying might get someone else in trouble, but telling the truth will be embarrassing and jeopardize his new found popularity. Ellray pushes forward in the most sincere way possible, even if it's hard, proving that some things are more important than popularity.

The second in the Ellray Jakes series, this title works alone with no prior knowledge of the first. Ellray is a sincere and likable third grader who kids will identify with. I, personally, related to being the shortest kid in the class and though I didn't give away my father's rock collection, I made other bad choices in order to be seen. In the end Ellray confesses his wrong doing and makes the matter right, even though it's hard. This transitional chapter book will appeal to reluctant readers and is also appropriate for advanced younger ones. Warner includes gentle humor and captures the tribulations of elementary school accurately. Plentiful black and white illustrations, contributed by Jamie Harper, will help encourage readers along and decode the plot. Even though Ellray must do something difficult, all's well that ends well and kids are encouraged to try other volumes in the series. Perfect for Valentines Day, the action takes place during this particular week, yet this doesn't overwhelm the plot, making it appropriate for all year long. A fun school story with some underlying realistic conflict.