Member Reviews

Trevor Lee and the Big Uh Oh is a cute story of a third grade boy struggling with reading. Although he covers it up and avoids the topic at all costs, it still catches up to him. The story is very upbeat with an occasional illustration, which I enjoyed. I think most younger middle grade readers would enjoy this one, especially if they can relate to Trevor’s reading troubles.
Thank you to One Elm Books and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

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I loved this book from the first page. This is a delightful story about Trevor Lee, a boy full of mischievous adventures. Trevor Lee can not read very well and would go to any lengths to get out of reading.

The way Trevor explains some things is so funny I had to stop reading and just sit back and have a good laugh before I could continue.

I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

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I was excited when I first saw the book cover and read the description. We all have something that we have difficulty with, and for Trevor Lee, it's reading. The characters are cute, and I like the quality of friendship between Trevor Lee and Pinky, but for me, that was the only redeeming quality of the story. Yes, not being the best reader in class will be relatable to many, but the teacher's ignorance of his problem will not be. In many ways, Trevor Lee and the Big Uh Oh is another "us against them" story with few adults supporting the kids' side of things. There were cute moments, but overall, I did not enjoy this book.

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Trevor Lee is in third grade. His best friend is Pinky. Mind you, Pinky is not a girl but a boy. His teacher is Miss Burger, nicknamed as Miss Booger. As per Trevor Lee, him and school do not mix, like pickles and peanut butter. Trevor Lee also does not like to read and hates math with words. When he learns that he has to read on stage on parents’ night, he plans to escape by getting chicken pox. He hangs out closely with the hens at his home to get chicken pox. He takes his Mawmaw’s advice and practices his reading part. His Mawmaw is his favorite, she hangs out with him without looking at her phone or TV and doles out sensible advice.

I enjoyed reading about the third grade life of Trevor Lee. He is a humorous and a naughty kid, but respects elders and helps out in the farm at home. He enjoys school but hates reading. As per him no words should be more than 3 letters. I loved the wisdom he sprinkles in the book, for example, the secret to losing weight is to buy gross food. Also the last few sentences at the end of each chapter let me know how he felt about school that day. I also liked that few of the chapters were fractions and sometimes the chapter numbers did not follow order.

I laughed many times while reading this book, for example the disastrous apple picking trip, the accident while taking care of the class hamster and the hen coop incident. Pinky was a good friend and made Trevor Lee’s life interesting. The art in the book was captivating, descriptive and added to the better reading experience.

There were a few editorial mistakes. In location 174, the sentence, ‘How come the letters ea in heat’, should be, ‘How come the letters ‘ea’ in heat’. Also the sentences in locations 608 and 649, ‘She said it was important that we smile real big like’, and ‘I crawled out from under’, ended abruptly. In the author description, the sentence, ‘If there is one thing everyone knows’, there is a space between I and f.

I would give this book a rating of 4 out of 5 because of the editorial mistakes. Middle-grade students will be interested to read this book. They will identify themselves Trevor Lee and benefit from his life experiences and wisdom.

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I read this book with my 3rd grader and he enjoyed many of the antics of his fellow "peers". Reading did not come easily in our family and so this book was relatable but at the same time, I struggled with this one a bit. I understand not wanting to do something that you don't feel that you know how to do very well but at the same time, it had a pretty negative tone towards learning how to read.

There are so many resources and supports now in schools and I think this book missed the mark about that stuff. When I was learning things were much more antiquated but things have changed so much in such a positive and proactive way. I think if you do read this with your own elementary school-aged child it would be a good one to really discuss together just so they receive the right message.

A big thank you to NetGalley and One Elm Books, all opinions are my own.

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Trevor Lee and the Big Uh Oh
How many things can possibly go wrong for one boy? Well, if you are Trevor Lee, lots of things. He doesn’t seem to have much luck
Trevor Lee, the third grader, not the wrestler, doesn’t read very well, and this leads to all kinds of troubles for him. His best friend, Pinky works hard to back him up, but even that isn’t fool proof. Add in his classmates, including twin girl know it-alls, the requisite mean lunch lady, and several embarrassing school events, you know it won’t be Trevor Lee’s favorite place.
At least at home on the farm, he has loving, busy parents, and a MawMaw willing to do karate. But his troubles there include a vengeful rooster, chores, and practice for his school “Family Reading Night”.
How many ways can he try to get out of it? What Trevor Lee ends up getting out of it is a greater appreciation for his own hard work, his teacher, and his family’s learning challenges.
This would make a good beginning of the year read aloud for families and younger students.

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Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trevor Lee and the Big Uh Oh by Wiley Blevins is a hilarious and entertaining walk through third grade. With a protagonist who is relate able and likable, who like many children are successful and often frustrated by various aspects of school life. This work had me laughing out loud on several occasions through out the work. I recommend this work for all middle leveled readers as they will have had similar trials and tribulations.

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Love finding beginning chapter books for boys. I don’t love when it is full of booger, butts, poo, Uranus, panties and more. I liked some of the messages taught just wish it could have been done without some of the other content.

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This book was so cute.

It’s been a while since I read something from the perspective of a third grader, but I forgot how charming the perspective of an eight-year-old can be. There was just something so lovable about Trevor Lee and Pinky.

Will I be purchasing in September when it gets released? More than likely.

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Great book that I think Struggling readers will really relate to. Trevor Lee has just started 3rd grade and still can’t read any words longer than 3 letters.

He shows the reader how his teacher makes him feel & how his struggles make him want to avoid reading at any cost! Even trying to catch chicken pox from the chickens in his garden.

I’d definitely read this with children aged between 6-10.

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I read this story with my son. His opinion is that it's funny and he read it fast. He thinks his teacher will like it. I enjoyed it as well. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

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I read this with my 8 year old son and we both really enjoyed it!
A great, upbeat story and lots of fun!

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Review to be posted in August on all sources mentioned on my profile.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

First up, thank you to the publisher for granting my wish! I was very eager to read this book as the cover looked fabulous, and the blurb sounded really fun.

Sadly, I wasn't always happy, and even though this book only had 160 pages, I had to struggle to get through it. This kid, is in the third grade but CAN'T READ. Well, OK, he can read words here and there, but they are simplest ones EVER. The ones a tiny kid can just read. I had to look up what age Trevor Lee would be in this grade (as the grades here are done differently) and he would be 8-9. I can imagine having some problem with reading, but that much? No. How is he not getting the help he needs? His parents are seemingly busy, but did try, but why is the teacher not helping him? Can't she spot that he has problems? With what all the endless excuses he is trying to make to get out of it. Even lying about his parents not coming to that Parents Night. Not doing the work in maths as they are now word problems.
Not to mention that, if he can't read, he also can't really write. So how did he get out of those things? I mean, I don't remember much from my school years in elementary, but I remember that by age 9 we had tons of exercises involving reading and writing. It just didn't make sense. How did he get out of at least 2 years of writing and reading? Anyone should have seen the problem by now. :| Plus, forcing a kid, who you can clearly see has a problem, to read in front of an audience is just the worst thing to do.
And yes, maybe the best idea is to just go back a grade. I get that it isn't fun, but he is so far behind his peers, I don't see how he could ever get on the same level without even more distance growing.
At least, Mamaw, our Trevor Lee's grandma understood his problems and he was able to talk to him about why things didn't go well at school.

Also, please, don't pick up hamsters like that. And hamsters don't poo that way, believe me, I have and had hamsters in my life, and the only thing these cuties do is do droppings. Unless they are sick and have diarrhoea. But I guess little droppings don't translate well on pictures. Though it is strange that they even had to wash his hair? Um, those droppings are generally dry, so you can just pick them out and maybe get a small cloth to wash the spot. This is because I am a hamster lover, but his attitude towards the hamster didn't make me any happier. Calling that poor thing a rat. No. Just no.

Um, unless he means school year, 3 Sundays of not falling asleep a year is NOT good.

And then there is the school trip and my dislike for Trevor Lee multiplied as he and his friend got it in their stupid head to break the rules that their teacher set for them. :|

Sorry, at the end he can suddenly do all sorts of reading because of his grandma? This sounds like the blind leading the blind. :P Not such a good idea, but sure. Why the hell not? *sighs*

So yeah, tons of things that didn't make sense, I couldn't like Trevor Lee, but hey the illustrations were good. That is what made me happy and kept me reading on. OH, and also I kept reading because I was hoping that SOMEONE would help Trevor Lee out for once. And not Pinky. An adult. Sadly, this never happened. Wow.

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I was lured to this book because there was a rooster on the cover. Since I have kept backyard chickens for over eight years, I am drawn to stories that have them in them.

And true to form, there are chickens and a rooster in this story, but mostly it is about Trevor Lee, and how he can't read. Not only can he not read, but his best friend Pinky can. And not only that, he doesn't want anyone to know.

But, being in third grade makes is hard to get away with not reading, and he is forced, much against his will, to read.

And it isn't like I don't have sympathy for him. My daughter had a hell of hard time learning to read, when she was in first and second grade. It is hard being behind, when everyone else is doing what you can't do.

The problem I have with Trevor, is that he doesn't want to read. He tried to get out of it at every possible time and place. I'm sure it is meant to be funny, but to me, it is annoying. He jokes about it, and gets in pickles, and frustrates his poor teacher.

The pictures are nice.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-19-at-8.17.29-PM.png" alt="trevor lee" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4919" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-19-at-8.17.55-PM.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-4918" />

And Trevor has a hard life, but I never feel sympathetic towards him, unfortunately. And maybe I'm not the right audience, and kids that have trouble reading will sympathize, and shout hooray at his adventures.

But, one thing that needs to be fixed is the description of his poor chickens. I think they are supposed to be in a pen, rather than a coop. The way I read the book, it appears that they are always in their coop and always in their nesting boxes, which sounds like torture for the poor hens.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

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