Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver

by Lorri Horn

Overview

A Best Middle-Grade Book of 2017 by Kirkus Reviews

“[Dewey’s] string of triumphs will have readers cheering him on, rolling in the aisles, and wishing they could line up for consultations.”— Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

Dewey Fairchild isn’t just good with parents, he’s great with them. He’s so good at handling parents that he’s built a thriving business out of it. He even has an assistant, Clara—a great alibi and an even better baker. Dewey settles the most troublesome of cases, from an overprotective mom who won’t let her child go to class on her own, to a dad who can’t stop picking his nose any chance he gets! 

Dewey has no problem handling other people’s parents, but when he overhears his parents’ conversation, he discovers a challenge he never expected. Dewey can solve any problem parents may cause, but what will he do when the parents who are causing problems are his own?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781948705127
Publisher:	Chicago Review Press, Incorporated
Publication date:	10/02/2018
Series:	Dewey Fairchild , #1
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	252
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	790L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Lorri Horn is an educator and the author of the Dewey Fairchild Problem Solver middle grade series, published by Chicago Review Press. The first in that series earned a Kirkus starred review and was selected for their "Best Middle Grade Books of 2017." Additionally, her work has appeared in the Huffington Post, Los Angeles Times Sunday Opinion, Phi Delta Kappan, and Advanced Placement (AP) Central. Horn has been a National Board Certified Teacher, has a degree in English, a teaching credential, and a Masters of Education. In addition to literature and writing, she also studied biological anthropology and human behavior. She taught public school and served as an instructional leader for 15 years. Her background brings to her work a unique insight and a warm sense of humor regarding the needs and perspectives of children and family dynamics.

Editorial Reviews

"Dewey Fairchild: Parent Problem Solverwas very different. Most books with this kind of concept of someone giving advice to other people usually aren't like this. Most books like that are about parents giving advice to help other parents with their kids and sometimes even people with their pets! However, I have never read a book with a kid giving advice to other kids to help solve their parents' problems! Oh, how the tables have turned! That has to be one of the most clever ideas for a book I have ever seen! The best part is that the outcome was so amazing! I loved the plot twist, the characters, and the light moments of comedy throughout the story. I also love how, within the whole concept, it still stayed a children's book. Most books with this concept of advice and solving problems aren't generally for kids. This one, however, stayed kid-friendly and interesting enough for kids to want to read it. Overall, it was a great book!" -Reviewed By:Farrah - Age 10

Kids' BookBuzz

"From an adult’s perspective, this story gains bonus points for encouraging close child-parent relationships and bonding through reading—all while being completely kid-centric. Crafty thinkers ages 9 through 12—especially those with parent problems of their own—that are looking for a humorous, realistic story, will be bound to enjoy Dewey Fairchild: Parent Problem Solver. Highly Recommended." - The Children's Book Review

The Children's Book Review

★ 2017-05-10
Hey, kids, are you saddled with a waaay overprotective mother? A dad who picks his nose? Parents discussing a move to Alaska? See Dewey Fairchild! Actually, that move to Alaska involves Dewey's own parents, and as it turns out, he needs some grown-up help redirecting the impulse. Otherwise business is so good that he has an office with a secret entrance and satisfied clients not only from his own fifth-grade class, but even from other schools. He's ably assisted in his methodical investigations and hilariously canny strategies by still-spry family friend Clara Cottonwood, an unfailing source of both wisdom and cookies, whose glib recitation of the themes of her last 93 birthday parties alone catapults her well over the threshold of awesome. With her help, along with that of several satisfied peer allies and customers rounding out the all-white cast, Dewey tackles parental challenges ranging from spying on the aforementioned nose picker (and seeing things no child should ever see, yuck) to derailing out-of-control cases of germophobia and addiction to practical jokes. His string of triumphs will have readers cheering him on, rolling in the aisles, and wishing they could line up for consultations. After all, as Horn puts it in this winning debut, "where you found kids, you always found parents who needed some assistance to be, shall we say, their best selves." Amen to that. (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews