A Junior Library Guild Selection
Richie's Picks
An ALA Notable Book (2014)
Nominated for the 2015-2016 Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award
Mitchell Goes Bowling
Hallie Durand (aka Holly M. McGhee), illustrated by Tony Fucile
Mitchell loves to knock things down . . .
So one Saturday, his dad takes him bowling. Mitchell likes the special shoes and the loud crashing noises, but getting a strike isn't as easy as he dad makes it look. There's the gutter, for starters, and the lanes are slippery, too . . . Will Mitchell ever find a way to get an X on the scoreboard? BATTLE ON!
"Mitchell’s energy remains second to none."
—Publishers Weekly
"Boisterous Mitchell and his resourceful dad are back in a hilarious father-and-son tale that celebrates working together with wit and warmth . . . Durand and Fucile are a winning combination, and their father/son bonding will leave readers in stitches. Loads of fun with a lot of heart."
—Starred review, Kirkus Reviews
"Since Mitchell enjoys knocking things down, his father sees a natural outlet for all of his energy: bowling. So begins this second book about the raucous boy and his cool dad . . . Fucile’s exuberant illustrations pop on every page and the ratio of word to illustration is very balanced. The story is played for laughs, but, in the process, readers will enjoy the father/son relationship and subtlely learning about being a sport."
—School Library Journal
"Our curly-headed four-year-old hero gets a break from knocking stuff over at home to knocking over pins, courtesy of his understanding pop. It’s enough to make any young reader want to hit the lanes . . . Indeed, Durand gets a lot of mileage on just how darn unusual bowling is, what with the scoring computer, ball-return system, and blowing machine . . . Unfortunately, Mitchell dwells in Gutter City, while his dad—depicted in a great, three-panel side view—has perfect form and, to add insult, does “a steamin’-hot-potato dance” to celebrate . . . Fucile’s scraggly characters have a contagious manic energy, with Mitchell occasionally breaking into Looney Tunes–style running-in-place. All ends well, of course, with father and son joining together to bowl a perfect SSTTTTTRRRRRIIIIIKKKKKE!"
—Booklist
"Suddenly [Mitchell’s] four, and with too much energy to spare, what better place to expend it than a bowling alley . . . Fucile’s retro palette of cool aquas and grays on an icy white background perfectly sets off the blazing red bowling ball, Dad’s russet hair, and the pitch-black mop that frames the rapid-fire expressions animating Mitchell’s face. It would be just too cruel to share this with a youngster unless you’re prepared to follow it up with a trip to the alley."
—Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books