“OHNOEEEAARRGGH!ARGLE!YARG! WHERE’SROSIE-I’MGONNAKILLHER SCLURBLEAARGHYURGGHHH!”

It was the sound of Alice’s brother Oliver losing his temper.

Everyone looked at Alice’s little sister Rosie.

“Polly Penguin done it,” said Rosie.

Oliver stormed into the kitchen waving what looked like a rather large peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

“Look what she’s done!” he shouted.

Everyone looked.

“She’s spread strawberry jelly all over my school library book!  All over Chess Openings for Improving Players, Part One!"

Welcome to Alice Singer’s world.

Alice lives with Mom and Dad, her younger sister Rosie (who attends Humpty Dumpty childcare, the only one in town that she hasn’t been kicked out of – yet) and her older brother Oliver (who hardly ever loses at anything, especially chess – and that’s a good thing, too, as he’s quite excitable).

Tim Kennemore introduced readers to her endearing middle-child character in Alice’s Birthday Pig, where Aminal, Peter Rabbit, and Polly Penguin (Alice’s, Oliver’s and Rosie’s pets) also made their first appearances.  The Singer family members are happy (most of the time), enthusiastic (even when unhappy) and remarkable (warmly), all in their own ways. It’s a fivesome that any young reader or listener can identify and relax with.

In Alice’s World Record, our heroine triumphs in the Alphabet Game on the family drive to Grandma and Grandpa Fox’s house in Bristol. Rosie, lacking her hench-bird Polly for the trip, is remarkably well-behaved (which is a good thing, too, as Grandma has little tolerance for shenanigans).  Oliver, fresh from his latest chess tournament win (trophy and all), learns a very important chess lesson from Grandma.

Alice’s World Record is a delightful story, humorously illustrated by Mike Spoor’s drawings. Elementary school students – especially those with brothers or sisters and those stuck in the “middle” (“Grandma Fox liked Oliver best…She didn’t mind Alice, as long as Alice was quiet and good and didn’t annoy her… Rosie, Grandma thought, was the worst child in the world.”) – will feel right at home.

And – did I mention? Oliver plays chess… very, very well.

From the Publisher's website, a short excerpt:

“Grandma Fox liked Oliver best. She thought he was absolutely wonderful. She thought Oliver was exactly what children ought to be like. She had twice as many photographs of Oliver as she did of Alice or Rosie, and she always gave him much better presents. She didn't mind Alice, as long as Alice was quiet and good and didn’t annoy her, but then she never took much notice of her, either. Rosie, Grandma thought, was the worst child in the world.”

Tim Kennemore has written several children’s books, including Circle of Doom (FSG).  She lives in England.

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