Jacky Ha-Ha My Life As A Joke

Another book by James Patterson's JIMMY publication company, this was written as a letter to the main character's (Jacky) daughters, flashbacking to the 1990s when she made a HUGE mistake.  That hook certainly is intriguing and keeps the reader engaged.  I enjoyed the references to that decade, and the author does a good job of explaining all of the "antiques" of that period, like a wall-mounted phone and a boombox.  The story focuses around Jacky at a young age during the summertime, planning on performing in a Shakespeare production with her friends and having fun working the boardwalk in New Jersey.  It was an engaging read with great illustrations and a great message.  There was a bit of 'tween puppy love and one kissing scene, but nothing more mature than that.  (FIC PAT)

Laugh Out Loud

Published under the new publishing label "JIMMY", this is James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein's middle-grade novel about a boy who would not give up on his dream.  He is an avid reader and writer who wants to write books that children will love.  The only way to do that is to have kids open a publishing company.  The only problem is that kids can't do that.  Or can they?  The book was full of references to influences in Patterson's life as well as his  and other authors' books.  I am careful with the publications from this label.  Some are fine for K-5.  Some are a bit too mature.  This one was perfect.  And I believe it will do what Jimmy dreams of.  (FIC PAT)