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    The Infamous Ratsos

    Part of Infamous Ratsos

    Author Kara LaReau
    Illustrated by Matt Myers
    Paperback
    $6.99 US
    Candlewick
    5.5"W x 7.75"H x 0.19"D   | 2 oz | 80 per carton
    On sale Sep 12, 2017 | 64 Pages | 9780763698751
    Age 5-8 years | Grades K-3
    Reading Level: Lexile 580L | Fountas & Pinnell L
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

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    A 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book

    Louie and Ralphie Ratso are no softies! Readers are sure to chuckle as the determined Ratso brothers’ plans to act tough go hilariously awry.

    Louie and Ralphie Ratso’s dad, Big Lou, always says that there are two kinds of people: those who are tough and those who are soft. Louie and Ralphie are tough, tough, tough, just like Big Lou, and they’re going to prove it. But every time they try to show just how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. What’ll Big Lou do when he finds out they’ve been acting like softies all over the Big City? Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers, this clever and surprisingly warmhearted chapter book shows that being tough all the time can be really tough.
    • HONOR
      Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
    • FINALIST | 2016
      Cybils
    Louie and Ralphie Ratso are determined to be as tough as their truck-driver father, but the rats’ efforts go hilariously awry in this funny, thoughtful, and smart chapter book...LaReau packs substantial comedy and poignant emotion into each chapter (the boys’ mother has “been gone for a little while now”), adeptly amplified by Myers’s spot art.
    —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books...The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers' sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos' "unwelcome" mat. A nicely inventive little morality "tail" for newly independent readers.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    The father-son dynamic is realistic and honest. Young readers will feel for the family as they learn to deal with the absence of a loved one. This slender novel packs a strong message of overcoming loss through love and kindness. A solid purchase; a chapter book that entertains and uplifts.
    —School Library Journal

    Generous black-and-white illustrations evoke setting (a rundown city neighborhood) as well as reinforce the storyline and the light tone of the text, with its natural vocabulary. Here’s a beginning chapter book with heart.
    —Horn Book

    Action and real emotion are packed appealingly into this rumbustious tale for readers ages 5-8.
    —The Wall Street Journal

    Photos

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    About

    A 2017 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book

    Louie and Ralphie Ratso are no softies! Readers are sure to chuckle as the determined Ratso brothers’ plans to act tough go hilariously awry.

    Louie and Ralphie Ratso’s dad, Big Lou, always says that there are two kinds of people: those who are tough and those who are soft. Louie and Ralphie are tough, tough, tough, just like Big Lou, and they’re going to prove it. But every time they try to show just how tough they are, the Ratso brothers end up accidentally doing good deeds instead. What’ll Big Lou do when he finds out they’ve been acting like softies all over the Big City? Perfect for emerging and reluctant readers, this clever and surprisingly warmhearted chapter book shows that being tough all the time can be really tough.

    Awards

    • HONOR
      Theodor Seuss Geisel Award
    • FINALIST | 2016
      Cybils

    Praise

    Louie and Ralphie Ratso are determined to be as tough as their truck-driver father, but the rats’ efforts go hilariously awry in this funny, thoughtful, and smart chapter book...LaReau packs substantial comedy and poignant emotion into each chapter (the boys’ mother has “been gone for a little while now”), adeptly amplified by Myers’s spot art.
    —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

    LaReau keeps the action high and completely appropriate for readers embarking on chapter books...The humor springs from their foiled efforts and their reactions to their failures. Myers' sprightly grayscale drawings capture action and characters and add humorous details, such as the Ratsos' "unwelcome" mat. A nicely inventive little morality "tail" for newly independent readers.
    —Kirkus Reviews

    The father-son dynamic is realistic and honest. Young readers will feel for the family as they learn to deal with the absence of a loved one. This slender novel packs a strong message of overcoming loss through love and kindness. A solid purchase; a chapter book that entertains and uplifts.
    —School Library Journal

    Generous black-and-white illustrations evoke setting (a rundown city neighborhood) as well as reinforce the storyline and the light tone of the text, with its natural vocabulary. Here’s a beginning chapter book with heart.
    —Horn Book

    Action and real emotion are packed appealingly into this rumbustious tale for readers ages 5-8.
    —The Wall Street Journal

    Author

     
    Kara LaReau View titles by Kara LaReau
    Matt Myers View titles by Matt Myers

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