Diary of a Real Payne

 Barbour Publishing provided the following book for the purpose of this TOS Schoolhouse Crew review. 

The Diary of a Real Payne: Book 1: True Story by Annie Tipton has been a great fit for my 9 year old son Joseph. Despite what the title indicates, this is a work of fiction. E.J. Payne is a mischievous imaginative little girl that is making my son laugh out loud. He has enjoyed reading this book and sharing about it with us. I love seeing my kids enjoy a good book, and his laughter with this reminds me of when I read Anne of Green Gables with my mom nearby and kept wanting to share each funny bit with her. Obviously the author shares my love of Anne as references to my favorite book are frequent. My son's laughter has been contagious, and I did have him share with me what he found to be so interesting. This little leading character dreams of being all grown up. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying my son's childhood.

"Sunday afternoons are reserved for naps in the Payne house." That is my absolute favorite line in the book. Our family (okay, not as much the kids) looks forward to Sunday afternoon naps when we can.  Most of the rest is a lot different from our family, but we found it so entertaining. My nine year old son read sections of the story to us, between laughs.  

As the youngest child with two big sisters, seeing things from a girl's perspective isn't a new idea for my son. I hope his relationships with his sisters will help make him more sensitive to his wife one day. This book from the character EJ's point of view just added to that. Little lessons are built into the story. EJ's beautician shared about true beauty and being a good friend. Then that same hairdresser shared how her once annoying little brother was now her friend. 

Though this is a Schoolhouse Crew review, this isn't a particularly educational book. What it is is fun. Unless you consider reading, comprehension, and narration educational. ;) 

On sale now for $4.49,  The Diary of a Real Payne is recommended for ages 8-12. Joseph already noticed there will be another book in the series (Church Camp Chaos.)

My son enjoyed the grandmotherly neighbor Mrs. Winkle's made up rules for Scrabble so much that he suggested we should play that way. 

The format of this book is a bit nontraditional. Each chapter starts out with pages out of EJ's diary, complete with a childlike font and doodle art. Lively illustrations also fill each chapter's cover page. This fourth grade character has a story I would have enjoyed reading at that age, too. 

    

 

 See what other crew members shared in their reviews here. 

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own or those of my family. I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC regulations.