Calvin Coconut: The Zippy Fix

Calvin Coconut needs to fix things with Stella—and fast!

Stella from Texas is now officially a member of the Coconut household. As if getting a bossy babysitter isn’t bad enough for Calvin, Stella teases him mercilessly. What’s a nine-year-old boy to do? Calvin decides to “fix” her, and he dumps his neighbor’s cat Zippy on Stella’s bed, knowing she’s allergic. But when Stella breaks out in hives and misses her first big date, Calvin realizes his “zippy fix” went too far. He’s got to make it up to her, and decides to give her a birthday present. But he has no money. Along with the help of his loyal friends and little sister, Darci, Calvin works hard, and comes up with enough cash to give Stella the best birthday gift ever.

Graham Salisbury’s voice perfectly captures the inner workings of Calvin’s mind, and Jacqueline Rogers’ delightful pictures add zest and humor to The Zippy Fix.

Calvin Coconut needs to fix things with Stella—and fast!

Stella from Texas is now officially a member of the Coconut household. As if getting a bossy babysitter isn’t bad enough for Calvin, Stella teases him mercilessly. What’s a nine-year-old boy to do? Calvin decides to “fix” her, and he dumps his neighbor’s cat Zippy on Stella’s bed, knowing she’s allergic. But when Stella breaks out in hives and misses her first big date, Calvin realizes his “zippy fix” went too far. He’s got to make it up to her, and decides to give her a birthday present. But he has no money. Along with the help of his loyal friends and little sister, Darci, Calvin works hard, and comes up with enough cash to give Stella the best birthday gift ever.

Graham Salisbury’s voice perfectly captures the inner workings of Calvin’s mind, and Jacqueline Rogers’ delightful pictures add zest and humor to The Zippy Fix.

Children's Literature

Stella, the live-in teenage babysitter, is not Calvin's favorite person. He should be kind and respectful to others (that is, after all, Rule Number Five of his fourth-grade boot camp rules) but when it comes to Stella...it is hard...very, very hard. She teases him about his height. She says she needs somebody really, really short who can walk under the bed to retrieve her hairbrush. Sometimes, all Calvin hears running through his head is a Stella chant: Stump, Pygmy, Peewee, Stump, Pygmy, Peewee. Calvin is fed up with Stella's teasing, and he has a plan to get even. But putting the neighborhood cat on Stella's pillow to make her sneeze turns out to be not such a great idea. Stella's allergies kick in, and her very first date is ruined. Calvin feels crummy. His "guilty conscience" gives him a lecture: "Do something nice for Stella. Get her that new CD." for her birthday. Maybe if he does his guilty conscience will stop giving him a headache. But Calvin is seventeen dollars short and running out of time. This is a quick and entertaining read about a kid who makes things right with just a little help from his friends. Reviewer: Anita Barnes Lowen

Graham Salisbury writes from the heart and draws on his own experiences of growing up in Hawaii. His drive to write about the emotional journey that kids must take to become adults in a challenging and complicated world is evident through his work. Says the author: "I've thought a lot about what my job is, or should be, as an author of books for young readers. I don't write to teach, preach, lecture, or criticize, but to explore. . . .