Meet “Milo”
March 3rd, 2011 by Karen
Lately, it’s been a Cybils lovefest around here, as Nancy and I declare our admiration for various finalists for the award. Well, get ready for more… because today I’m recommending Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg.
Yes, this book has a fun and funky title. Yes, this book has humorous illustrations sprinkled throughout the story. Yes, this book is about a guy who’s trying to figure out friends and school and life and who the heck he is. BUT this is no Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I repeat: Milo is NOT Greg Heffley.
The most important difference between Milo and Greg is that whereas many of Greg’s problems are his own darn fault, Milo is facing a much more serious issue: the recent death of his mother. It affects how his dad acts; how he feels about school; and, well, everything.
But don’t think Milo is just gloom and doom. There may not be pages dedicated to the Cheese Touch, but it’s got disgusting slushie flavors, several crush-on-a-cute-girl disasters, and an alter ego named Dabney St. Claire. Not to mention some hilarious writing. Plus, the comics do a really great job of lightening the mood just when things get really serious. Because like I said, this book is NOT Diary of a Wimpy Kid. So you should expect lots of sad stuff โ but happy stuff and funny stuff too. Just like real life! With cartoons. ๐
โ Karen
Karen would love a world filled with doodles, but sadly, she’s never been a good artist herself. Nowadays, the margins of her notebook are filled with triangles. Yes, that’s all she’s capable of drawing…
6 Responses
My ten year old son really enjoyed this book, and I think that the funky cover helped dispel any worries about a “serious” topic. ๐
-Dawn, 5M4B
We’ve just started working our way through the middle grade books, but I’ll look forward to this one.
Hi Karen – thanks so much for saying such nice things about Milo. Freezies on us!
Alan Silberberg (and Milo)
Wow, Alan Silberberg (and Milo)! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! And thanks for writing such a wonderful book!
Thanks for participating in Book Talk Tuesday! As always, I love all of the reviews you post here- and I need to get this book for my library. I think many books just get lumped into the “wimpy kid” read alike lists, and it is important to know the differences and let these other books shine for what they are!
Thanks!
Kelly
I really want to read this book! ๐