What a Trip, Amber Brown

Amber Brown and her parents go to the Poconos for two weeks with Amber's best friend, Justin, and his family.

Best friends Amber Brown and Justin Daniels are taking a vacation together! There's just one problem-Justin's little brother, Danny. He always wants to tag along. Can Amber find a way to make Danny go away so she can have Justin all to herself?

Publishers Weekly

The feisty series inaugurated in Amber Brown Is Not a Crayon is not just for middle graders any more - with these two volumes, Danziger and Ross introduce their winning heroine to beginning readers as well. Making Amber younger and showing the Brown family before divorce, Danziger simplifies her prose style without reducing her energy. She keeps several story lines moving, and she invigorates them with her characteristic love of puns and her kid-targeted sense of humor. In Justin Time, for example, which opens on the eve of Amber's birthday, she agitates for a watch ("I, Amber Brown, am one very excited six-year, 364-day-old kid"); she also tries to come to terms with her best friend's perpetual tardiness (the friend is Justin Daniels, who moves away in Crayon). In Trip, the Browns and the Daniels vacation together in the Poconos, during the course of which Justin hurts Amber's feelings, a business phone call during a dad-supervised outdoor sleepover annoys Amber, and Justin's left-out little brother finds a way to be included. The emotions are real and recognizable, and Amber's first-person narration makes even obvious jokes seem spontaneous (such as a riff on Poconos/"poke a nose"). Ross brings extra verve to his contributions. In Justin Time, for example, as Amber tells her stuffed-toy gorilla about the gift she wants, Ross shows her drawing a watch onto the gorilla's wrist. In aiming for a younger audience, Danziger and Ross have kept their standards just as high. Ages 5-8. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in New York, Paula Danziger knew since second grade that she wanted to be a writer. Beginning her career as a teacher, Danziger taught at the junior high, high school, college levels. She received her Masters Degree in reading and during that time she wrote her first bestselling novel, The Cat Ate My Gymsuit. She returned to teaching, but the success of her book encouraged her to become a full-time writer. It was non-stop for Danziger since then. Among her titles are: the enormously popular Amber Brown books as well as Remember Me To Harold Square, The Divorce Express, and Can You Sue Your Parents For Malpractice?

Danziger received numerous honors, including: Parent's Choice Awards, International Reading Association - Children's Book Council Awards, a IRA-CBC Children's Choice Award and many nominations for state reading and library association awards.

Known as a flamboyantly funny and deeply honest writer and speaker, Paula Danziger knew how to relate to young readers at their level. She was vital, funny, and compassionate. She knew how kids felt, what made them laugh, what they wore, collected, read, and played with. From collecting novelty toys that would make any teacher cringe, to wearing jangly earrings, funky glasses and shoes covered with beads and sequins, Paula Danziger had a direct line into kids' hearts and funnybones. She will be missed always.

In Paula's memory, The Amber Brown Fund has been established to bring authors and illustrators to schools and libraries which otherwise could not afford them. Donations may be sent to The Amber Brown Fund/ SCBWI Museum of Children’s Books, 8271 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.
Tony Ross lives in London, England.