Not everything turns out to be as it first appears when Cody and her best friend, Spencer, navigate a neighborhood mystery and the start of a new school year.
Cody's best friend, Spencer, and his parents are moving in with his grandmother right around the corner, and Cody can't wait. For one thing, Cody needs Spencer to help solve the mystery of the never-seen Mr. Meen, who lives on the other side of the porch with a skull-and-crossbones sign in the window and an extermination truck out front. How's Cody to know that a yellow jacket would sting her, making her scream "Ow! Ow!" just as they start spying? Or that the ominous window sign would change overnight to "Welcome home," only deepening the mystery? In this second adventure, Spencer's new-school jitters, an unexpected bonding with a teacher over Mozart, and turf-claiming kids next door with a reason for acting out are all part of Cody's experiences as summer shifts into a new year at school.
1 of 1 copy available
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Creators
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Series
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Publisher
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Release date
April 12, 2016 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780763689575
- File size: 14489 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780763689575
- File size: 14489 KB
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 3.5
- Lexile® Measure: 460
- Interest Level: K-3(LG)
- Text Difficulty: 0-2
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Reviews
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February 15, 2016
Cody's impatient for Spencer Pickett's family to move in with his grandma, GG; as readers of the series' first installment know, waiting isn't Cody's strong suit. On the Picketts' arrival, surprises ensue (Spencer plays the violin) as well as mysteries: GG's duplex unit is full of Picketts (Spencer's parents are launching a business), but apart from the name "Meen" on the mailbox, the adjacent unit looks empty. When ant-fancier Cody's stung by a yellow jacket, Mr. Meen appears with a remedy--he's an exterminator! Unlike their dad, the Meen girls aren't friendly, and Molly forbids Cody and Spencer to play in the backyard. Cody tries to mentor Spencer, who's younger, but the teacher she warned him about (the Spindle) likes him--Cody finds them listening to Mozart during recess. Cody's classmate Pearl makes origami animals for Spencer and plays piano; soon they're rehearsing for a concert. Do they like each other better than they like Cody? Are the Meen girls bullies or friend material? Her big brother is there for Cody, when not romantically preoccupied, but her restless, inventive mind and kind heart are her best resources. The African-American Picketts are middle-class, while, like the Meens, Cody's family is more blue-collar (Dad drives a truck; Mom works in retail) and white. Asian-American Pearl, with her origami and music, hews rather too closely to stereotype. Understated illustrations subtly reinforce these diverse identities and bring the cozy world to life. A perennial message, "different strokes for different folks," delivered with affection and tolerance, 21st-century style. (Fiction. 7-10)COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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July 1, 2016
Feisty Cody (Cody and the Fountain of Happiness) can't wait to show her new-to-town best friend Spencer the ropes at school. To Cody's surprise, Spencer is soon palsy-walsy with Cody's super-strict former teacher. The aptly named Meen girls, however, are another story. Eloquent, insightful, and emotively illustrated, Cody's musing story about friendship--and other life mysteries--will resonate with readers.(Copyright 2016 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
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