 "Not my favorite of this series" | 2009-06-16 |
| - Reviewed By elotaria |
Not my favorite "mouse" book. My nieces adore it, but the storyline seems a bit odd to me.
Wendell comes to visit, and he's a major brat. Okay. Sophie clearly knew this before he came over, why didn't her parents?
The resolution in the book seems a bit forced, that's what it is. Wendell is worse than a brat, he's a bully - he causes trouble and leaves notes saying that Sophie did it, he leaves a note of himself as a monster attacking Sophie before bed (so you can't say that he's just misunderstood or nervous, he's TRYING to scare her), he steals her food and breaks all the rules.
Sophie does deal with this in a sensible way (first trying to ignore him, and finally turning the tables on him and spraying him with water), but I don't see how this made her reluctant to have him leave. And in later books (Sheila Rae, the Brave) it's shown in the background that they become great friends. I think that's a bit much.
But my nieces love it. I think they just love seeing the bully get what he deserves and the victim become empowered. |
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 "Henkes does it again!" | 2008-08-28 |
| - Reviewed By User: AH6JA32JEJZ26 |
| I'm a grade school tutor and my students love all Kevin Henkes' books. A Weekend With Wendell was a great hit! |
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| ""Friends"" | 2006-12-11 |
| - Reviewed By sarahpuglisi |
I like Kevin Henkes, as a 1st grade teacher I think he's channeling every child I ever had an affinity for, maybe on a scary level. This was my first Henkes book and after spending the weekend with my favorite girlfriend, and someone so verrrrrryyyyy different I appreciate the genius of Henkes all the more.
I originally bought this because my daughter is named Sophie and the main character is a Sophie, but truthfully that character had so many similarities to my then shy and self-effacing daughter, it was cool. It was a great fit at that time and having re-read it to my class 15 years later it still seems to be twinklingly brilliant.
This Sophie has a weekend visitor , Wendell. She's not exactly thrilled and his ability to be sensitive to her feelings and her perspectives fits in the teacup with room for the tea. He takes over the play, dictates the games with treasures like assigning her to be the dog when playing house or the desk clerk playing hospital , or my favorite the "sweet roll" playing bakery. To all of these play situations Wendell is meeting his needs big time while happily forgetting that the sweet roll may want to do things a bit differently, I don't think he understands at all his Sophie.But he does want her to be his friend. Indeed I'm not sure Sophie ever achieves denting that truth of Wendell here-he's not entering her domain exactly tho he is literally taking her space over-he's entirely in his world-no matter the space.
"Isn't that fun?" Wendell happily asks as his need is met.... And there is Sophie..."Sophie didn't say anything."
We do flash in and out to the parents who reassure Sophie it's going to be okay and the take over will end "Soon". It's a funny thing but there is something universal in that usurping visitor tale, something children understand very well. Wendall is so enthusiastic as he invades her covers, bounces up in the morning, thinks of all the activities and steers her around until in one simple situation she takes over, asserts herself in a game with a hose and finds a way to control a little tiny piece of the play, just there at the end of the visit. The book ends so beautifully, it ends with acceptance on Sophie's part.
I suppose I can't spoil it entirely but Wendell leaves on a touching "note". And Sophie is hooked on the thought of a future encounter. What I like about this in teaching is it characterizes the processes we go through in learning one another, in being guarded and only in small pieces able to find harmonies one to another. But having become involved, it was very sweet to have Henkes leave us with the story told in such a way to see the promise of this new friendship and the adjustments that begin to be made to accommodate one another on two different levels by both parties. It acknowledges that Wendell doesn't ever "get" it, he just grows on her...and that is really art...it's art... for what it understands and captures. As the book says, "Soon Wendell and Sophie didn't care who was the fire chief or who was the burning building." No of course not, they were enjoying each other -too much -to care anymore about the control issue, so core central to a self trying to initiate the "rules"(to protect against rejection) of inter-relating with another. They got through the first hurdle. She found a footing and decided to risk his inability to really process her...because he's fun and she sees he does care. She's like this.It's enough.
I like the tale. I always ask kids where they think this went in "next tales" and inevitably those answers reveal a great deal about my kids...answers ranging from "They get married" to "The parents never let them play again"..to "They write letters everyday" ..to the most common..."They see each other once in a very great while and remember that fun day" . This I think rather illustrates what happens in child friendships dependent on parental actions and chance...it just goes along. This is a very nice tale to use with a class before a weekend especially if you hear of someone coming over maybe rather dreaded by a child-say a visitor coming along with parent friend.I just finished spending two days with a girlfriend who is dynamic, energetic, Wendell-Like with games and parts for me to play and lots of drama and excitement. It's a perfect distraction from life. We had a good time and on parting last night I was feeling that intense kind of anguish over separation...Henkes can find the core of daily life and really pull us through a well told story.
Great story, simple, true. |
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| "Fun & entertaining" | 2006-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2VM9FRTQZCF7 |
| We are a family who always enjoys the writings of Kevin Henkes, in fact we own at least a dozen of his books. While, A Weekend with Wendell is not our favorite book by the author, we thoroughly enjoy the book and read it as a family over and over again. What I enjoy most about this book, and all of Kevin Henkes' books, is that the books are entertaining for children and parents of every age. No matter how young, no matter how old the stories are delightful and you always walk away feeling good. |
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| "Fun entertaining" | 2006-07-26 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2VM9FRTQZCF7 |
| We are a family who always enjoys the writings of Kevin Henkes, in fact we own at least a dozen of his books. While, A Weekend with Wendell is not our favorite book by the author, we thoroughly enjoy the book and read it as a family over and over again. What I enjoy most about this book, and all of Kevin Henkes' books, is that the books are entertaining for children and parents of every age. No matter how young, no matter how old the stories are delightful and you always walk away feeling good. |
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| "Kevin Henkes Strikes again!!!" | 2005-11-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1S6ATO6KLPAWC |
| Kevin Henkes has created another enjoyable book that kids would be able to identify with, because the characters have personalities like one they might have seen and the storyline is very personable. Most students could probably recount an instance where they were either the overconfident and manipulitive Wendell, or the shy and reserved Sophie. Also it's a good read because students would be able to read this book on their own and understand it well, due to the simple text. |
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