Rotten Ralph Helps Out: A Rotten Ralph Rotten Reader (Rotten Ralph Rotten Readers) - Hardcover

Jack Gantos and Nicole Rubel published their first book, Rotten Ralph, in 1976. They launched the Rotten Ralph Readers in 2001 with Rotten Ralph Helps Out. In addition to the Rotten Ralph books, Jack Gantos is the author of Hole in My Life, a memoir that won the Michael L. Printz and Robert F. Sibert Honors, Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, a National Book Award Finalist, and Joey Pigza Loses Control, a Newbery Honor book. He lives with his family in Boston, Massachusetts. Nicole Rubel's many books include Twice as Nice: What It's Like to Be a Twin and  Grody's Not So Golden Rules. She lives in Aurora, Oregon.

Sarah is learning about ancient Egypt at school, and when she tries to decide on the perfect class project, her bad cat, Ralph, helps out--with typically disastrous results. Author Jack Gantos narrates comfortably and has the ideal sly intonation for lines like, "Sarah's teacher was impressed. Her school friends were impressed. Of course, Ralph was impressed with himself." Gantos never talks down to his young listeners, and this early-reader book delivers plenty of fun facts about ancient Egyptians. (Ralph discovers that they invented handshakes and pancakes and they revered cats.) Nicole Rubel's funny, colorful illustrations make it a page-turner, and great Egyptian-inspired background music adds to the atmosphere. J.M.D. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine