Ellie McDoodle Have Pen Will Travel by Ruth McNally Barshaw

"So now I'm trapped in a steel projectile, hurtling down the highway into the Great Unknown with a bunch of control freaks and snotty-nosed brats. Eric started a fight with Deanna and Tiffie so Aunt Mug is making me sit next to him. I'd rather ride on the roof rack." (3)

Eleanor McDougal, otherwise known as Ellie McDoodle, is forced to spend a week with her twin 11 year old cousins, her seven year old cousin, her three year old brother, and her aunt and uncle camping in a cabin while her parents go out of town. Just look at how Ellie depicts her cousin Er-ICK! (as a multi-armed dinosaur), and you can see this is going to be a fun trip. From catching frogs to going on a bear hunt, it's filled with outdoor adventures as Ellie tries to keep her sanity during this trip. Along the way, all the frogs they caught are released during the night, Eric goes missing, and the whole family finds and reads Ellie's journal. Ruth McNally Barshaw, who lives in Lansing and sets the story in Michigan, also reveals numerous fun games that any kid can play after reading Ellie McDoodle: Have Pen Will Travel. Everyone who has read it has compared it to Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but no one has told me which one they like better. Read it yourself and make your own comparisions.

AMY