Book Descriptions
for Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Writing Thank-You Notes by Peggy Gifford and Valorie Fisher
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Peggy Gifford again delivers a fast-paced story that takes place over the course of an afternoon in the life of irrepressible Moxy Maxwell. It’s just after Christmas, and Moxy has to write thank-you notes. Her mom wants them done today because Moxy and her twin brother Mark are leaving tomorrow to visit their actor dad in L.A. With visions of being “discovered” while in Hollywood, Moxy can’t focus. Her little sister, Pansy, has offered to dictate Moxy’s letters of gratitude, but Moxy hits on a better idea: a fill-in-the-blank form letter to express her sincere appreciation to each and every person who has gifted her. All she needs is the use of her stepdad Ajax’s new copy machine—the one that no one but Ajax is supposed to touch. The ensuing disaster, documented along with other memorable moments of the afternoon in black-and-white photos taken by Mark, is laugh-out-loud hilarious. But the disappointment and anger when the L.A. trip is canceled is anything but funny as Gifford deftly turns the story to one that looks at very real family dynamics, and the love that will sustain two kids facing a difficult truth about their dad. As in Moxy Maxwell Does NOT Love Stuart Little (Schwartz & Wade, 2007), Valorie Fisher’s photographs are a wonderful accompaniment to the short, pithy, and surprisingly poignant narrative. (Ages 8–11)
CCBC Choices 2009. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2009. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Every tween reader’s favorite procrastinator is back . . . in paperback!
It isn't as though Moxy isn’t grateful for her Christmas presents. She is. She’s just not thrilled that she has to write a thank-you note for each one by tomorrow . . . or she will not be allowed to fly to Hollywood to attend a starstudded
Hollywood bash with the father she hasn’t seen in three years. And writing thank-you notes is not something that a world-class Creative Type relishes doing. But it is more than writing thank-you notes that finally prevents Moxy from taking her trip. When her father cancels at the last minute, Moxy is forced to deal with the reality of a situation she doesn’t want to accept, and can’t change. But, not surprisingly, she rises to the occasion brilliantly.
“Resourceful and resilient, Moxy is a pleasure to meet again.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
It isn't as though Moxy isn’t grateful for her Christmas presents. She is. She’s just not thrilled that she has to write a thank-you note for each one by tomorrow . . . or she will not be allowed to fly to Hollywood to attend a starstudded
Hollywood bash with the father she hasn’t seen in three years. And writing thank-you notes is not something that a world-class Creative Type relishes doing. But it is more than writing thank-you notes that finally prevents Moxy from taking her trip. When her father cancels at the last minute, Moxy is forced to deal with the reality of a situation she doesn’t want to accept, and can’t change. But, not surprisingly, she rises to the occasion brilliantly.
“Resourceful and resilient, Moxy is a pleasure to meet again.”—Kirkus Reviews, Starred
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.