Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker by Megan McDonald, Peter H. Reynolds (Illustrator)

From Barnes & Noble

Sometimes jawbreakers don't break. When that product malfunction happens to avid chewer Stink Moody, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer, who responds with a full ten-pound box of fully functioning gumballs! This unexpected boon launches Stink on a letter-writing campaign based on overblown dreams of big-time restitution. Things go awry, however, when friendship gets lost in the mailroom shuffle. A delightful chapter book by the author of the popular Judy Moody novels.

From the Publisher

Spurred by a newfound awareness of false advertising, Stink Moody becomes the proverbial kid in a candy store as his letter-writing campaign yields him heaps of free rewards.

When Stink buys a mammoth jawbreaker that doesn't break his jaw, he writes a letter of complaint to the manufacturer - and receives a ten-pound box of 21,280 jawbreakers for his trouble! This unexpected benefit of acing the art of letter-writing in school sure gets Stink thinking. Soon Stink is so preoccupied with getting free stuff sent to him that he overlooks a scribbly envelope in the mail pile - until his best friend, Webster, starts acting standoffish and looks as mad as a hornet.

In this hilarious new episode from Megan McDonald and Peter H. Reynolds, Judy Moody's shorter sibling truly comes into his own. As a delightful bonus for both teachers and kids, thirty-six common idioms - from "two heads are better than one" to "a leopard can't change its spots" - are sprinkled throughout the story; seven of the idioms are humorously illustrated by Stink, and all are listed at the end to inspire a search for idioms that's more fun than a barrel of monkeys.

Cindy L. Carolan - Children's Literature

What child would not love a 10-pound box of candy delivered to their front door? Stink Moody receives one such box containing 21,280 jawbreakers in response to a complaint letter he writes about a "super-galactic jawbreaker" that utterly failed to break his jaw! He gently suggests that the name of the jawbreaker should be changed to the "Super Not-Galactic Mouth Crayon." Having such a mouth watering success gives Stink the incentive to write more and more and more letters—and to ignore anything that arrives in the mail that is not in a box from a company he recognizes as one of his targets. This causes a huge rift between Stink and his best pal, but some excellent life lessons are learned in the end. Each chapter ends with a comic illustrating a common idiom; there is also a list of the 37 idioms used in the book at its conclusion. This is the second installment in the "Stink" series (Judy Moody's little brother) that also includes Stink: The Incredible Shrinking Kid. This book could be used (loosely) as part of an elementary school English curriculum as it pertains to idioms. Recommended as pleasure reading, nonetheless. 2006, Candlewick Press, Ages 4 to 8.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-3-Judy Moody's seven-year-old brother is back with new super-galactic adventures. Stink buys the World's Biggest Jawbreaker and slurps, sloops, and shloops it all day until in one crunch, it is G-O-N-E. Disappointed that his jaw isn't broken, he decides to use his new letter-writing skills to complain to the company. He receives 21,280 jawbreakers, prompting him to write more letters in an attempt to get more free stuff. Candy, toys, and zoo passes arrive daily for Stink, who won't share any of his treasures with his "green with envy" older sister, Judy. He is so busy receiving the free goodies that he overlooks his super-best friend Webster's birthday party invitation, and he has to find a way to mend their friendship. He has also been learning about idioms in school and peppers them throughout the story along with his colorful Stink-isms. Black-and-white comic-book-style illustrations are clever and zany. This early chapter book is bound to be a hit with fans of Stink or Judy Moody, and it makes a hilarious read-aloud.-Michele Shaw, formerly at Yorkshire Academy, Houston, TX Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Stink, Judy Moody's little brother, is back in the second installment in his own series. With the five dollars he earned by participating in a study for short people, Stink buys the World's Biggest Jawbreaker. And, if longevity is any indication, Stink gets his money's worth. He sucks on it at home, in school and everywhere in between. But, when the jawbreaker does not break his jaw or even stretch his mouth, he decides to write a letter to the manufacturer. His letter is a big success-a ten-pound box of jawbreakers arrives at the Moody house! That success spurs a letter-writing campaign that keeps the mailbox popping until the grown-ups put a stop to the letter writing. This story would be plenty for new readers, but McDonald adds a grammar lesson that runs thinner than pond ice in April-Mrs. D is teaching about idioms and Stink can't stop speaking in them, 37 idiomatic phrases altogether. Reynolds's familiar illustrations keep the mood light, even when Judy and Stink argue, which they do. Constantly. (Fiction. 5-9)

Product Details

• ISBN: 0763621587
  
• ISBN-13: 9780763621582
• Format: Hardcover, 128pp
• Publisher: Candlewick Press
• Pub. Date: April 2006
• Sales Rank: 133,507
• Age Range: 5 to 8
• Series: Stink Series

• Table of Contents
• Read an Excerpt
• Read a Sample Chapter

Table of Contents

Read an Excerpt

Every day, Stink ate a little more and a little more of his jawbreaker. He ate it in bed first thing in the morning before he brushed his teeth. He ate it at recess in between playing H-O-R-S-E with his super-duper best friend, Webster. He ate it on the bus and all the way home from school.

He gave a lick to Mouse the cat. He gave a lick to Toady the toad. He even tried giving a lick to Jaws the Venus flytrap.

Stink's jawbreaker went from super-galactic to just plain galactic. From golf-ball size to Super-Ball size.

"Are you still eating that thing?" asked Judy. Stink stuck out his tongue.

"Well, you look like a skink," said Judy. She pointed to his blue tongue.

Shloop! went Stink.

Stink ate his not-super-galactic jawbreaker for one whole week. He ate it when it tasted like chalk. He ate it when it tasted like grapefruit. He ate it through the fiery core to the sweet, sugary center. He ate it down to a marble. A teeny-tiny pea.

Then, in one single bite, one not-jaw-breaking crunch, it was G-O-N-E, gone.

Stink was down in the dumps. He moped around the house for one whole day and a night. He stomped up the stairs. He stomped down. He drew comics. Ka-POW! He did not play with Toady once. He did not do his homework. He went outside and bounced Judy's basketball 117 times.

"Somebody got up on the WRONG side of the bed," said Judy. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were in a MOOD."

"I can have moods too, you know." Stink kept counting. "One hundred eighteen, one hundred nineteen . . ."

"Is it because your jawbreaker's all gone?" askedJudy.

"It's because that jawbreaker lied. They should call it World's Biggest UN-jawbreaker. I ate and ate that thing for one whole week, and it did not break my jaw. Not once. It didn't even make my mouth one teeny-weeny bit bigger.

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STINK AND THE INCREDIBLE SUPER-GALACTIC JAWBREAKER by Megan McDonald, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Text copyright (c) 2006 by Megan McDonald. Published by Candlewick Press, Inc., Cambridge, MA

Read a Sample Chapter

Stink and the Incredible Super-Galactic Jawbreaker

Candlewick

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