Chick

April 6, 2015
A teen’s mechanism for relieving stress sets him apart in this thoughtful entry in the Orca Currents line, written at a second-grade reading level. Most kids at school know 14-year-old Chick as smart, funny, and popular. What they don’t see is his paralyzing anxiety, especially when he’s facing his father’s high expectations. Chick copes by making lists—reams and reams of them, which he locks in a desk drawer. Van Tol realistically depicts a down-to-earth protagonist and a family on the verge of change as Chick diagnoses himself with OCD. Chick’s lighthearted, supportive relationship with his girlfriend, along with his father’s emotional shifts, bring positive elements to this satisfying story. Ages 10–14.

March 1, 2015
Grades 6-9 Everyone calls him Chick except for his father, who insists on using his given name: Tadeusz. And that's the least of Chick's problems with his father, a man who has already determined Chick's extracurricular activities and his future law career. Chick cannot muster the strength to stand up to his father, and, instead, he deals with the stress by making dozens of lists each day: Things That Make Me Nervous, How to Know There's Something Really Wrong with You, and so forth. Chick realizes that this coping mechanism will do nothing to solve his problems, yet he does not know how to find the required courage. Perhaps his new girlfriend, Audrey, can help. Short chapters and quickly paced plotting make this another swift read in the Orca Currents line of high/low books for struggling readers. This should find readers beyond that audience, though, as it deals with quintessential topics such as romance, OCD, and parent-child relationships.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)