The Obstinate Pen

K-Gr 3—One day, a rather grouchy man buys a new pen. After yelling at his nephew Horace to leave the room so he can write in silence, Uncle Flood discovers that the pen will only let him write tactless, declarative statements like, "You have a big nose" instead of his intended story. Frustrated, he throws it out the window and its journey begins. The pen gets passed from person to person, causing trouble and insulting everyone along the way with its uncanny ability to uncover painful but amusing truths. Eventually, the pen ends up in Horace's possession and finally works "correctly" when the boy begins to draw pictures. Colorful cartoon illustrations add to the lighthearted tone of this quirky story. Children will enjoy the warm humor and silly-but-smart writing in this book, which would be suitable for both reading aloud or independently.—Rita Meade, Brooklyn Public Library, NY