A delightful little book about a friendly, helpful boy who corrals his friends to help him solve other children's problems with their parents from an OCD mother to an embarrassing father. Except... Dewey finds out someone who needs help a lot closer to home... himself!

As this is a children's book, for a much younger audience, the characters were portrayed simply, relying heavily on small details. I was slightly confused about Clara's age, but, as a child, Dewey could hardly be expected to know it, although the 'birthday party' list could help you out if you were willing to sit and count them.

A delightful book that will appeal to young minds. Fun, with a little detective work and lots of biscuits to keep everything sweet.

Imagine a cross between Encyclopedia Brown and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. That's right, a young boy with detective abilities who also happens to be good at "curing" problem parents. Dewey handles issues ranging from germaphobic mothers to fathers that belch (and worse) in public. With the help of his secretary Clara and her dog Wolfgang von Fluff Bucket, young Mr. Fairchild finds cures for overprotective mothers, fathers who won't stop playing pranks, and other dilemmas brought to him by kids from all over town. Sometimes he even enlists the assistance of his friends in gathering information or find the right approach for clients to break their parents of all these bad habits. As he puts it, "Desperate mothers called for desperate measures."

Each situation is handled successfully and readers will be amused by the solutions to the problems. Scenes like the joker dad sucking his thumb in shock over being pranked himself will have readers laughing out loud. But what will really win everyone over is the fact that Dewey has a parent problem of his own and doesn't know how to solve it. It proves that no one is perfect and that we can all use some help from our friends. Seraphina and Colin's attempts at undercover work in the dental office of Dewey's father are hilarious and show how far true friends will go to help each other.

This book is appealing on many levels. There are the funny parent problems and the even funnier things Dewey has the kids do to break those parental habits. Readers who like secret hideouts or clubhouses will love Dewey's office and the way clients enter and exit. For those who enjoy spies and detectives, there are the stakeouts, message drops, and using Wolfie to smuggle tape recorders. And there is plenty of word play and puns. Looking over the file of the burping father, Dewey finds that he also picks his nose in public, and "had to admit, having a public nose picker for a father pretty much nosed ahead of other people's problems." He tells his secretary, "Get it, Clara!? I'm picking her case first!" Go ahead and groan, but it is funny.

Perfect for middle grade readers who enjoy humorous stories involving parents, friends, and lots of cookies.

Clever children solve all those annoying things parents do. Clinging, germaphobia, belching! You know all those terrible things parents do to their poor defenseless children. Well, Dewey and his clever band of detectives can come to the rescue and do so armed with cookies and milk!

I enjoyed this book very much. I am wondering if there will be illustrations, but did not translate into my galley. Kids will enjoy this story of "parent problems" which all kids can relate to.

Watch out, the heir to Encyclopedia Brown is here, with some clever updates in a thoroughly modern read for kids aged 9-12. Dewey solves problems for his kid peers who need help with various parental issues, most variations on contemporaneous issues such as Helicopter Parenting, Parents Are Disgusting Too Parenting, and Parents Make Mistakes Parenting. Dewey solves those cases with believable cleverness and aplomb and his relationship with his assistant and genius baker Clara Cottonwood, a sort of Mrs. Hudson/Dr. Watson composite character, is a hoot. But when it comes to his own family issues, Dewey's icky relationship with his mother is distracting (they frequently share a bed, and ""pillow talk," including intimate discussions about her marital issues with his father, who is treated like an ignorant bumbler.) Some of Dewey's friends deserve more of a role (just describing their skin tones and hair color is not adding real diversity) and Dewey himself could be fleshed out as a believable eleven year old boy. But his Can Do entrepreneurial attitude is a winning premise, and hopefully the next book will be too.

Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver

by Lorri Horn

Amberjack Publishing



Children's Fiction , Middle Grade

Pub Date 08 Aug 2017

I am reviewing a copy of Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver through Amberjack Publishing and Netgalley:

Dewey Fairchild is so good with solving parent problems that he's built a career out of it. He even has a secretary Clara, she's a great alibi and an even better baker.

Dewey has no problem when it comes to helping others with their problems, but when he learns that his Father is moving them to Alaska he finds a problem that will be difficult if not impossible to solve. Will he be able to solve the problem, or accept the move?

Find out in Dewey Fairchild, Parent Problem Solver:

Five out of five stars

Happy Reading!