Barbour Publishing: Diary of a Real Payne Review

Funny Bunny is always excited to get a new book, so when she received Diary of a Real Payne Book 1: True Story from Barbour Publishing she was thrilled!

I read the first several chapters aloud but the book was so good she had to steal it and read it on her own!  She's read it over several times since.

Below is her review: 

Diary of a Real Payne by Annie Tipton is a story about Emma Jean Payne, a fourth-grader who lives in the town of Spooner, Wisconsin.  She daydreams during chores, during recess, and even at the grocery store during back-to-school shopping!  With her dog Bert and her best friend Macy at her side, it’s the best life a fourth-grader could ask for, right?

Nope.

First of all, the teensy, weensy, itsy, bitsy little town of Spooner couldn’t get any more boring.  Nothing exciting to do, no exciting places to visit, and worst of all, no one even knows EJ’s favorite novel EVER, Anne of Green Gables.  Even the people in her neighborhood are sort of on the grouchy side.  Spooner couldn’t be much worse, from EJ’s perspective.

Then there’s that awful little Space Invader, Isaac.  EJ’s annoying little brother does have his uses, but mostly, he’s just plain pesky.  And even worse, he only knows one lame joke that drives EJ absolutely crazy.  Ok, mostly EJ loves her younger brother, but sometimes he gets on her last nerve, especially when he chose Bert’s middle name to be T-Rex.  What kind of kid names a dog T-Rex?! 

And finally, there’s CoraLee McCallister.  The snobbiest girl in school, CoraLee throws insults to EJ like “EJ P-A-I-N” or “Payne-in-my-neck”.  To make matters worse, CoraLee stars in the Christmas pageant as Mary while EJ is stuck as a glittery angel with tinsel, frills, and ruffles – everything EJ does not like.  

Then, in the pageant dress rehearsal, EJ overhears CoraLee telling her sister, Katy, about something that makes EJ so surprised that she loses her balance and nearly falls off of the platform that her angel harness is connected to.  But EJ realizes that, mean or not mean, EJ needs to help CoraLee and her family this Christmas.  To do that, though, it means no Christmas for the Paynes – no Christmas dinner, no presents, and no traditional Christmas.  But EJ is willing to give someone else a Christmas, even if it means losing her own.  She’s ready to carry out Code Christmas!

I really liked Diary of a Real Payne, and thought it was interesting and I was eager to figure out what would come next.  My favorite part was Code Christmas – the plan that the Paynes devise to help the McCallisters.  It was awesome how EJ and Isaac were willing to sacrifice their own Christmas to give the McCallisters a Christmas.  Diary of a Real Payne is a wonderful book that I really enjoyed!   

 * * *

My Thoughts:  I only read a few chapters aloud with Funny Bunny, but during that time we were in stitches!  EJ is a real character with a wild and vivid imagination!  In Chapter Two EJ and her brother Isaac play a game of scrabble with their neighbor, Mrs. Winkle, but no ordinary game of Scrabble - the Winkle way of playing.  You use made up words, which have to follow two rules: The person playing the made-up word must be able to pronounce it and give it a definition.

Guess what we played that week?!  :)  Such a fun book with a good, Christian message!

Find Out More:  You can find out more online at Barbour Publishing.  Diary of a Real Payne Book1: True Story is normally $5.99 but on sale for just $4.49 and recommended for ages 8-12.  Book 2 - Church Camp Chaos is set to come out in March 2014!

My Crewmates are also reviewing God's World News, so you can check out what they think HERE. - See more at: http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.F7BRt2ci.dpuf

My crewmates are also reviewing Diary of a Real Payne, so you can check out what they think HERE.

My Crewmates are also reviewing God's World News, so you can check out what they think HERE.

- See more at: http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.Sxpelro4.dpuf

My Crewmates are also reviewing God's World News, so you can check out what they think HERE.

- See more at: http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Reviews#sthash.Sxpelro4.dpuf

My Crewmates are also reviewing See the Light, so you can check out what they think HERE.

- See more at: http://ourhomeschoolreviews.blogspot.com/search/label/Art#sthash.cOp0zwmz.dpuf

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