A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever

Frazee, M. (2008). A couple of boys have the best week ever. Orlando, FL: Harcourt, INC.

 Genre: Children’s Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 5-8

Summary:  A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever is a great story with very nice illustrations. Two friends James and Eamon enjoy a great week together at the home of Eamon’s grandparents Bill and Pam during summer break. The plot takes the children through the week of spending time at nature camp and in the home of Bill and Pam.  They watch TV, play video games, and eat banana pancakes all the while listening to Bill’s stories and avoiding the beach just outside. They become so connected at the hip and begin doing everything as a team that Bill begins to call them Jamon. As the week winds down, the boys realize that experiences become more meaningful when shared with others around them.

Reflection:  This book is very well written and illustrated and the story structure is very easy to follow. What caught my attention first was the amount of sarcasm and humor that a child 5-8 years of age might not pick up on but the parent or teacher reading it aloud would.  Many of the underlying messages extend from the writing through the illustrations so the reader would need to look closely to really see the attitudes and interests of the characters and how they develop throughout the story. Some of the illustrations seen contradictory to the writing but that is where the sarcasm takes over.  This book would be more appropriate for young males and they would definitely feel the connection to the “best friends” theme presented here. This book makes me think back to the really close friendships I had when I was younger and how my friends and I had all the energy in the world and felt we never had to slow down.  Do any of us still have this type of best friend besides me?