See You Around, Sam! by Lois Lowry, Diane de Groat (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Sam Krupnik, mad at his mother because she won't let him wear his newly acquired plastic fangs in the house, decides to run away.

Publishers Weekly

Sam (Anastasia's little brother) is forbidden to wear his plastic fangs in the house and attempts to run away to Alaska, where the walruses will surely accept his oral protrusions. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

"This is a perfect choice for introducing young listeners to chapter books as common threads are carried throughout, and both humor and pathos are abundant. Long-time friends of the Krupniks will sink their teeth into this latest installment with relish. Fangs alot, Lois Lowry!"

Children's Literature

In this latest book featuring Sam and Anastasia Krupnik, we spend an afternoon with Sam as he runs away from home. He had a fight with his mother over wearing a plastic set of vampire fangs and decided life at home was intolerable. He decides to find happiness in Alaska where "fanged" walruses lie around in a pile and protruding, sharp teeth are the order of the day. Under the watchful eye of his mother and some loving neighbors, Sam aborts his plan, but only after learning a few things about life. The whole story takes place in one afternoon, but readers will savor this book long after that last page is turned.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-5Anastasia's younger brother Sam's side of the story is continued in this latest volume of the Krupnik family saga. When his normally understanding mother exhibits an unreasonably negative reaction to his plastic vampire mouthpiece (a result of the fangphobia she developed while watching that Tom Cruise movie), Sam decides his only recourse is to run away to Alaska. (Walrus tusks are commonplace, so fangs shouldn't cause a stir there.) The strengths of this series have always been its cast of multi-dimensional, quirky, but very believable characters and their humorous, astute observations. On his travels, Sam visits with familiar neighbors, Gertrude Stein and Mrs. Sheehan, who have been apprised of his plans through telephone contact with Mrs. Krupnik, and he has a genuine heart-to-heart talk with his big sister. Added to the panoply of personalities are a letter carrier who memorizes zip codes and makes pasta sculptures in his spare time and a neighbor who sports Sam around on his wheelchair but can't give up smoking. True to the structure of the other books, tension and events build to a climactic final scene in which all the characters, even minor ones, play a significant role and everyone realizes that "It's a very grown-up thing to change your mind." This is a perfect choice for introducing young listeners to chapter books as common threads are carried throughout, and both humor and pathos are abundant. Long-time friends of the Krupniks will sink their teeth into this latest installment with relish. Fangs alot, Lois Lowry!Starr LaTronica, Four County Library System, Vestal, NY

Kirkus Reviews

Sam Krupnik is almost five, and he's running away to Sleetmute, Alaska. Yes, Anastasia's brother has sadly decided to leave because his mother won't let him wear his plastic fangs in the house (she has fangphobia). He plans to lie around in piles with the walruses, who don't mind fangs. Before he can go, he wants to visit each of his neighbors to say goodbye. Lowry (Attaboy, Sam!, 1992, etc.) gives readers a good look at the workings of the mind of an endearing, ordinary child. Sam's small problems are not in any way important, but Sam believes they are—and, as conveyed through such powerfully sympathetic writing, that is enough. The result is foregone, but readers will inhale every word, through the simple force of Sam's personality. With de Groat's capable black- and-white illustrations in every chapter, this is a delight.

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