Allergic to the Great Wall, the Forbidden Palace, and Other Tourist Attractions

May 15, 2014
Alvin Ho is at it again. Allergic to everything and all things girly, this 7-1/2-year-old worrywart hops a continent to visit relatives in Beijing. Is China ready for Alvin?The hilarious family vacation kicks off with an airport-security bang. Only Alvin can manage to set off alarms both on and off the plane, with his family of six in tow, including his baby sister (amusingly referred to in fish terms). Once in Beijing, Alvin meets his aunt Aiyi, uncle Jonathan (who looks "plain," not "Chinese at all"), and cousins Katie and Bean Sprout. The family zips off to such sights as the Great Wall of China and the Forbidden City, where dragons, "Peeking" duck and an encounter with a pit toilet go hand in hand. Amid his navigation of culture shock, Alvin becomes consumed with guilt over his dad's lost passport and his rejection of an orphan's wish for a friend. The way Look channels this adorable fraidy-cat continues to delight in this sixth Alvin book. Her lightning-quick dialogue sets the ideal tone and pace for reluctant travelers. Rendered in ink, Pham's illustrations convey the family's emotions, from anxiety to bliss, with simple, lively expressions. And around all the mayhem, there lies a story full of heart as big as China, where friendships (even with a girl) reach far beyond great walls.Pack your bags and prepare to fly. (glossary) (Fiction. 6-10)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 2-4-Alvin Ho is back-this time on vacation with his family in China. Alvin isn't so sure about this trip. From the 16-hour plane ride to a fear of being squashed in a massive crowd of people, the boy must struggle with and overcome various anxieties. Told from the nervous protagonist's point of view, the story will have readers laughing at some of the bizarre circumstances Alvin gets himself into. Look spins a thread of Chinese culture throughout this lighthearted story, and readers are taken through famous historical sights. By the end, readers will walks away with a bit of knowledge of China and its culture. A delightful and engaging addition to this refreshingly multicultural chapter book series.-Diana Wireman, Russell-McDowell Intermediate School, Flatwoods, KY

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2014
Grades 2-4 As the Ho family departs for a visit to China, Alvin's trademark PDK (personal disaster kit) causes a disaster in the airport's security line. Alvin's loving and long-suffering dad is left to explain the forbidden contents in the first of many mishaps Alvin causes while dealing with his anxieties, this time over travel, ominous clay soldiers, and dragons! Young readers will get an introduction to famous Chinese sitesperhaps more than Alvin's family does, since he sabotages each outing with some mishap. Look's humorous and sympathetic characters and Pham's delightful illustrations combine for another successful chapter-book collaboration.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2015
Alvin Ho faces previously unknown fears when his family travels to China to introduce his baby sister to relatives; the hilarity (for readers) begins at airport security. This series entry's heartwarming moment involves Alvin's idea to grant Christmas wishes to orphans, including someone's wish for a friend. Pham's many illustrations capture the fun being had in Look's action-packed story.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2014
Alvin Ho, who's afraid even when safe at home, faces previously unknown fears when his family travels to China to introduce his new baby sister to relatives. Forget fear of flying ("small enclosed spaces filled with strangers, hurtling across the sky at 600 miles per hour"); Alvin's afraid of his own passport photo -- in which he looks like he "robbed a bank and got run over by the getaway car." The hilarity (for readers, that is) begins at airport security, when Alvin's ever-present Personal Disaster Kit is found to contain, among other things, forks and knives (he's "allergic to chopsticks") and a rope ("for climbing the Great Wall"). As usual, Pham's many illustrations capture the "fun" being had in Look's action-packed story, this time most especially by Alvin's long-suffering dad -- all while wearing a crying infant strapped to his chest. First, Dad's hauled away by federal air marshals (Alvin's panicked and repeated use of the call button), then he accompanies his son up and down thirty-two flights of stairs (no elevators for Alvin), and then he must hurl himself onto a toboggan when Alvin instantaneously decides that riding down the Speed Chute is less scary than standing around on the Great Wall. This series entry's heartwarming moment involves Alvin's idea to grant some Christmas wishes to a group of orphans, including someone's wish for a friend. Alvin may be full of fear, but he's also got loads of empathy. jennifer m. brabander

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)