Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid

Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid by Megan McDonald (audio book)

The story is there were so many Judy Moody readers clamoring for more about Stink that he received his own series beginning with this title. Of course, Judy Moody is an older child and her books are written for the older reader. Stink is a second grader and so his books are perfect for the beginning chapter book readers.

I have read the first several Judy Moody books. They were all right. There were perhaps a few things that I would never have encouraged in my own household - certain words, actions that made me cringe. It has been several years and the movie later and I apologize for not being more specific. They might have been a tad modern for me. For instance, Stink? My older daughter would not be permitted to call my younger daughter by such a nickname. Therefore, I was not quick to read about Stink.

But Stink is a Monarch nominee from a few years back and I wanted to get to know the cute kid on the cover. I always liked his haircut. Silly, I know. It turns out Stink is a good kid who has to deal with an ornery big sister. Occasionally, I wish I could throttle Judy.

I like James “Stink” Moody because he is a thinker. He also likes homework just like my very own second grader. He will create homework to do when he has finished his actual. He follows rules and feels impotent when someone else disobeys them. No one will listen to the shortest boy in the second grade class - most certainly not his big sister. Things would run much more smoothly if Judy paid greater attention to Stink. In fact, lives would be saved. No kidding.

Perfect example and cringe-worthy: Stink is chosen for the honor of taking his classroom’s pet, Newton the Newt, home over the weekend. His homework includes keeping a log of Newton’s activities. Well, Newton doesn’t do much and Judy teases him about how boring Newton is. She decides to liven things up by taking Newton out of his terrarium and putting him in with their pet toad. Stink is suitably distressed. Judy didn’t even wash her hands first! But it gets worse. Later, Judy berates Stink for not keeping Newton’s home clean. She takes the terrarium to the kitchen sink to clean it out and loses Newton down the drain! THEN she flips a switch to turn on the light, but you can probably guess that it wasn’t the light switch. It was the garbage disposal switch!!

My largest problem with the book is that Judy gets away with these types of stunts unpunished. Stink is living with a bully. I didn’t find it funny, but rather, upsetting. Aside from Judy, the chapters in this book were differently delineated and it confused this adult. The chapters were not numbered, but each ended with a cartoon created by Stink himself on one page, and the new chapter’s title on the backside. It took me a while to get my rhythm. I also didn’t care for the cartoons. I found them to be a weak component even though they are meant to be the creation of a second grader. The rest of the book reads more intelligent than the cartoons.

Final thoughts: I like Stink. I don’t care for Judy in this book. Judy is the typical troublemaker and Stink is the typical good kid. Reading-wise, I would definitely recommend this book to K through 2^nd graders who are ready for early chapter books. I think the book is too “young” for reluctant 3^rd and 4^th graders, although they might enjoy living vicariously through Judy. I might have to read a few more Stink books…