The Ratsos, a great group of characters that deal with a variety of problems facing any school-age children, tackle the very real problem of bullying. This is one of the stronger books in the series as the situation and solution to the problem as very relatable. Great artwork as always with this series and very smooth text. Highly recommended for young readers. Not the best book on bullying or how to to deal with it but a great start and packaged in a very approachable and discussion-encouraging way. ( )

This story is a tough tale that centers on characters dealing with bullies. It is tough because it does not sugarcoat the ways bullies can work, and it provides the main characters with some tough lessons on handling bullies. I appreciated how Ralphie stepped up when he saw his friend Tiny being bullied. While he kept his friend safe, he drew the attention of the bullies onto himself. While the secondary characters remain one-dimensional, the story goes in-depth with the mental head game caused by the threat of the bullies. Ralphie doesn't eat, can't sleep, and is always anxious in his attempts to handle this problem on his own. Ralphie's dad imparts lots of wisdom about not using violence and doing what is right. The ending wraps things up nicely, too nicely?

The black and white pictures show lots of forlorn moments, but provide enough illustration to show major events, break up the text, and support beginning readers. My favorite drawing is Ms. Porcupine with her hair rollers.

A strong choice for beginning readers.

I was provided a copy from Candlewick Press for an honest review. ( )

This is a continuation of this entertaining series for early readers. This books is a great transitional series that encourages early readers to enjoy interesting plots without getting bogged down in details, and this series does just that. It will be sure to keep readers' attention and take them on a fun journey. Highly recommend for 2nd-3rd grade. It encourages them just the right amount.
Plus the story has a bullying theme so children can reflect on how it is similar/different to their lives as well.

I thought this was an engaging chapter book for young readers. I definitely think it’s relatable with a realistic story line. As a teacher, I often see students trying to handle issues themselves without seeking help from a trusted adult. This book illustrates the importance of seeking help. The characters fit well with the story and the illustrations were detailed and fun. Overall, a good book for children! ( )

I read this book with my 8 and 6 year old sons. We all really enjoyed this book. The text is well spaced and a larger print which makes it less intimidating to a young reader. The pictures in the book were entertaining and also helped break up the text. The story about bullying focuses on the result of the character trying to solve his own problem and ultimately getting help from adults to solve the issue. It was a well laid out story with a great moral and relatable lessons. I would definitely recommend it. ( )