Review

Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom

Common Sense Media says

Funny diary of an 8-year-old worry wart braving summer camp.
Age
7
Quality
 
  • Educational value3
    Justin, a kid who has been happy going to science camp, tends to discover and report interesting bits of knowledge, such as his "regular" camp's celebration of Bastille Day with croissants on July 14. He never does connect "Gerta," the author of his father's favorite quote, with Goethe the German poet, though the adult reader will be giggling.
  • Positive messages5
    Doing the right thing (e.g. in telling the truth, being kind, or doing a brave deed) is praised and rewarded, and bad behavior eventually catches up with the misbehaver. Various lessons, lightly delivered, spotlight the importance of being true to yourself but mindful of others, of courage in crisis, of a loving, supportive family.
  • Positive role models5
    Even though they're sometimes distracted or annoyed at his over-the-top worry-wart behavior, Justin's parents are fiercely loving and supportive when it counts. His hilarious grandparents Gingy and Poopsie ensure that the world treats him right. His classmate Montana C. is a good friend to him even when he's exasperating.
  • Violence & scariness1
    Justin gets invited into the "cool" group of boys at camp, who spend a lot of time playing a game called Knuckles, the winner of which has to hit all the losers hard on the knuckles with a deck of cards; Justin's hands are eventually quite sore from losing at this.  There's also a scene in which a camper is rescued from the bottom of the swimming pool.
  • Language0
    More grossout factor than foul language. Brief reference to dog doo (as something Justin doesn't want to step in barefoot) and humor about bus farts (i.e. exhaust) and boogers. 
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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Justin Case: Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom is the angst-ridden summer diary of introverted 8-year-old Justin, who made his debut in 2010's Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Daily Disasters. For Justin, life's potential perils, from the incomprehensible social customs of his peers to the possibility his toy knights might suddenly attack him, are endless. Author Rachel Vail (Jibberwillies at Night, If You Only Knew) has a deft way of taking kids' anxieties with age-appropriate seriousness, along with a hefty dose of silliness where it will do the most good; she brings her young hero through a rocky summer with some good deeds to his credit, some life lessons under his belt, a great fondness for his loving family -- and a comical assortment of things to worry about. Matthew Cordell's funny line drawings add to the fun. The only violence comes in a game where the winner hits all the losers hard on the knuckles with a deck of cards. And there's a scene in which a camper is rescued from the bottom of the swimming pool.

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