Synopsis
The author of the beloved Kids of the Polk Street School series introduces a new generation of readers to a multicultural group of kids who enjoy all the activities of an after-school center.
I'M #1! That’s what Mitchell McCabe’s favorite T-shirt says. He'd like to be Number One at the Zigzag Afternoon Center, where there are lots of fun activities to choose from: swimming, nature walks, field trips, art, even homework help. And YAY—there's snack time! But Mitchell is worried. What if he's the only kid who doesn’t get a prize on Prize Day? Luckily, Mitchell realizes he's a winner at something terrific.
In this delightful new series, award-winning author Patricia Reilly Giff introduces readers to a quirky, lovable group of kids, capturing all the excitement and surprises of new friends and after-school fun.
Publishers Weekly
This spirited if choppy novel marks the debut of Giff's Zigzag Kids series starring students in an after-school program. New to the Zelda A. Zigzag School, Mitchell wears his "I'm #1" T-shirt yet fears that others think he's a loser. He's apprehensive about attending the Afternoon Center and--rather implausibly--dons a mask he finds on the floor hoping no one will recognize him. As he participates in such activities as singing, swimming, and visiting a nature center, Mitchell becomes increasingly worried that he isn't good at anything and won't win an award on prize day. The humor can be strained: after misplacing the mask, Mitchell "hoped it wasn't on the floor. It would look as if a cow had run over it." Yet Giff (the Kids of the Polk Street School books) persuasively portrays Mitchell's anxieties and his rapport with his peers and with his sister, who surprises him by announcing that she's also afraid of being passed over on prize day ("He thought she was good at everything"). It's a slight story--but one with heart. Also available: Big Whopper. Ages 6 9. (Aug.)