Gotcha!

"Gotcha!" is Patrick the Pest's own game of sneaky torment. Mrs. Zookey's lively second grade provides audience and victims for his clowning and nasty tricks. Gilson's easy chapter book is in the first person voice of Richard, Patrick's favorite target, who describes everything that's going on as the class learns about spiders and takes a field trip to find some. Besides incidental arachnid info and briskly paced you-know-everything's-going -to-turn-out okay entertainment with just the right amount of tension, Richard's interesting observations offer a lot to think about concerning responsibility, getting along, and behaving well toward others -not like the neat, preachy bullying books, but from Richard's satisfying, realistic perspective. He describes his own impulses and susceptibility to Patrick's quick wit, mean ploys, and challenges, and candidly weighs his attempts at restraint and inclination to retaliate. Richard is a sympathetic character, a regular, perceptive kid who can't resist Patrick's manipulations and strays from his good intentions. His glimpses of the feelings and characters of other members of the class, and descriptions of the roles they play in the dynamics of Patrick's pranks are effortlessly brilliant. They provide context and ring true. The incident with Richard tipping his chair and hurting his head perfectly reflects the Patrick-Richard relationship (although personally, I'm terrified of kids' skull fractures from chairs falling backward, and am dismayed when chair tipping is treated too lightly.) Principal Prothero's positive attitude and general competence make his heroic rescue of Patrick a perfect climax. Underwear holds powerful meaning in many ways for children the age of the intended audience. They fully understand the seriousness of Patrick's predicament by rotund Mr. Prothero's immediately stripping to just boxers and socks to dive in the lake-- what a good guy, a principal who likes and respects his kids and is prepared to take care of them. I like that this book is easy and light but has substance. I like that Patrick's mishap is not a major comeuppance, but gives a glimmer of the true fellow he's gradually maturing into, without the bravado and meanness. His path will be a long one, but I like that this book doesn't demonize this bright, complex kid or turn a single event into a life-changing snap resolution. Seeing dedicated Mrs. Zookey figuring out how to work with all her students, teaching them what they need to prepare them for their own long paths feels good, and Amy Wummer's friendly, cartoony illustrations complement the story just right. Accomplished second grade readers could manage this well-written, thoughtful book independently, but most second graders would love having it read aloud, and third and many fourth graders would enjoy it too.