With the weight of the world on his shoulders, and knowing happiness is contagious, Rick is determined to have one solve the other.  Even at eleven-years-old, he has big dreams to help his family but what he’s thinking isn’t exactly the right way of going about things so Rick is taking a lot of risk.  For such a young man, he has a big conscience, and he’s basically wondering if the ends justify the means.  His next-door neighbor is Mila.  Soft spoken, yet very dependable, she’s a true friend.  Art and drawing are her passion, especially unicorns, and she’s also got some serious listening skills.  Mila and Rick make a good team.  

This is Rick’s story of how a kid with a dream can make a difference.  He and his stomach have side conversations which are pretty entertaining.  Sometimes it even reminds him of how a friend should act and that what he does to help the people around him really does matter.  In the end, Rick spills the truth and things take a turn he didn’t expect. 

The author, Christina Uss, has done a splendid job blending family and culture into this tale. From Abuelita’s driving, to the bike loving SPLAT club, to Rick’s family and their financial crunch, this is a story worth reading.  The pacing is fun and energetic so it keeps the reader coming back for more.  With a boy and girl main character, plus several other entertaining people thrown in throughout the story, this could be a winner for any young reader looking for an adventure outside the usual story “box”.  This is Christina Uss’s second book and it was just as entertaining as her first: The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle which is also worth picking up a copy and reading.  Both of these would make good family read-aloud books. 

Review of an Advance Reading Copy

This book was sent to Compass Book Ratings for review by Margaret Ferguson Books

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  None 

Violence/Gore:  None 

Sex/Nudity:  A museum curator, who is giving a presentation at a middle school, shows a picture of the Colossus of Rhodes who is naked, no description of nudity, just kids giggling. 

Mature Subject Matter:

Vandalism, family financial difficulties, earthquake.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

None