Ellie McDoodle; Have Pen, Will Travel

by Ruth McNally Barshaw

2007

170 pages

elementary fiction

     My reader girl and I just finished this book last night.  It is half chapter book, half diary with pages of doodles thrown in for fun!  Think Wimpy Kid but not as crazy.  We loved Ellie and her games.

From the back of the book:

When Ellie McDougal's parents go out of town, she's forced to go on a camping trip with her aunt, uncle, cousins, and baby brother, Ben-Ben.  Mosquitoes and poison ivy she can handle, but a week with crazy relatives?  No way!  Thank goodness she at least has her sketchbook for recording all the excruciating details. 

     As a reader we had a great time listening to Ellie try to fit in with her cousin's family. It is always difficult feeling like the outsider.  She's ticked from the beginning of the trip because her aunt and uncle plan to stay in a cabin and Ellie's family are tent-campers.  Oh, what a big divide that is!  Coming from a long line of tent campers I can relate to her dilemma but have adjusted very nicely to cabin camping and even motel camping on occasion.  They have some many amazing adventures all on one camping trip.  Frogs, marshmallows, rainy days, hurt feelings and getting lost are just a few of the issues to get through for Ellie and her cousins!

     Lucky for Ellie she can doodle her frustrations away and she eventually discovers her relatives aren't so bad.  The camping trip made this a really unique read and my reader girl and I loved all the games she listed to play with doodles for explanation. I believe there are two more in the series and we'll have to check them out as well.  Beyond getting to know her cousins we are anxious to meet her best friend, Amy and her new camping buddy, Scott-we hope they both show up in Ellie's next adventure!

Ellie has her own page!
Ruth McNally Barshaw

Fuse #8 Reviews the next book in the series.

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