I found them both to be interesting books.
Both books had boys as the main characters, with a female counterpart.
Both boys met strong, but "odd" women who proved pivotal to their lives.
Both boys grew and changed by all they experienced in their lives.
Pete Milano's Guide to Being a Movie Star made me laugh. This book is part of the Charlie Joe Jackson series, as i read it i kept thinking.. my boy needs to read this book, it's funny! Pete Milano is a funny lad who has trouble happen ... sometimes as a result of his own boyness and other times well.. let's just say he's in the wrong place at the right time. :)
Anyways, Pete lives his life, meets Iris while he's escaping one of his antics, and finds himself auditioning for a movie. He acts in a movie.. learning a lot about himself and other people at the same time, and figuring out what is truly important for himself.
Throughout the book are scattered images of Pete at the movies, at home and pages of the script he was working through. I am hoping my lad will pick up this book to read for himself soon. I think most older elementary aged boys would like this book, and probably some girls too!
All George needed was a job. A job so he could replace his bike that got stolen. And ad read as follows:
This book adds an element you don't find in the Pete Milano book... a real villain. She's a bone-chilling, awful person with one nasty sidekick and one well.. rather odd one (well he IS odd!). :)
While this book didn't make me laugh as much as the other book did, I wanted to know what happened in the end. It hooked me in. Tommy Greenwald did an excellent job with his descriptions, the redeeming of the "odd" sidekick and unique answer to the terribly nasty villain. (that made me laugh). Not sure I'd have sensitive readers take a go at this one, but it was an interesting book.
I was given the opportunity to read those books via Raincoast Books.
You can learn more about them here: