Official Review: The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge L...

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JessNWheeler
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Official Review: The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge L...

Post by JessNWheeler »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge Lizard" by Julia Mary Clark.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The old rocking chair had always been there, but today, a large lizard was seated in the chair. Oscar almost choked on his biscuit. This just could not be real. Author Julia Clark takes her readers on a magical adventure in The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge Lizard.

Oscar is an ordinary eight-year-old-boy. However, he is dealing with the loss of his beloved grandfather, Grumps, and his parents’ divorce. He loves to play in the garden, and one day he meets a large talking lizard. Larry the lizard helps Oscar to cope with his hardships and takes him on magical adventures. Larry’s home planet, Tarastaria, is also home to trolls, monkeys, and gonks. These interesting creatures are ruled by the tyrannical Emperor Bumface. Oscar’s unlikely friendships with these extraordinary creatures do more than distract him from his troubles on Earth. As Oscar enjoys his time on the magical planet, he unknowingly inspires the citizens of Tarastaria to work together to make a positive change.

This story is fun and entertaining with interesting, relatable characters. Many children struggle with the loss of loved ones. Divorce is, likewise, a difficult journey for many families today. This is a story that addresses these issues in a gentle and, in many ways, fun manner. Children ages nine to twelve would enjoy reading this book. Children ages five to eight would enjoy listening to an adult as they read this story to them. This suspenseful fable will keep young readers’ attention through to the end. This book creates a fun way to teach children about teamwork, kindness, and the importance of family.

The author’s clever use of context clues is sure to enrich her young readers’ vocabulary. This book is skillfully written, organized, and edited. There is not one grammar error to be found. The story comfortably flows from one scene to the next making it pleasant to read, and it is sure to inspire young imaginations.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This is a well-written and well-organized book. The themes and lessons of determination and the importance of family are clear and presented in an understandable way. Reading The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge Lizard to or with children will help parents and teachers start conversations about many difficult issues that children cope with today. Furthermore, this is a fun, entertaining, and magical story that the entire family can enjoy together.

******
The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge Lizard
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KarinaBordas
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Post by KarinaBordas »

It seems as if Julia Mary Clark has published a must read book for children! Per the review, this book appears to be full of suspense and life lessons - lessons that those with various backgrounds and experiences can relate. I look forward to delving into the pages to see how she addresses the sensitive issues of divorce and loss, as well as the impression this has on the lizards home planet, in The Adventures of Oscar and the Lounge Lizard.
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Post by Kat Berg »

The name of the tyrannical Emperor, Emperor Bumface, tells me a lot about this book. The cover is fantastic, and the content also sounds delightful, as well as insightful. It can be a challenge to combine fun with life lessons without coming across as preachy.
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Post by AmySmiles »

This sounds like a wonderful children's book. I love the cover of it as well. Thanks for the review.
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Post by Cecilia_L »

I love your description of this book--what a sweet way to deal with the painful issues of death and divorce. Thanks for the recommendation!
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Post by daydreaming reader »

I think that a bad guy by the name of Emperor Bumface might just be the thing to get my 8 year nephew interested. Thanks for the review!
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Post by kandscreeley »

First, I love the character names here. They are so clever and creative. Secondly, I love when authors are able to help readers learn new words without having to pull out the dictionary every time. It really sounds as if this book is very well done for a children's story. Thanks.
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Post by Dahmy 10 »

At the beginning of your review, I was thinking, 'what sort of novel/book is this,' using the character of a lizard. I became thrilled when I discovered that it's for children of a more mature age. This I must say is exquisite!!!

Thanks for this review!!!
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Post by Nick123 »

I recently bought this book for my nine year old nephew and he absolutely loved it. I read through a lot of it with him and it really is an excellent children's book. Very funny, highly original and genuinely quite moving in parts. It also deals with some fairly adult themes, as you mention in the review, but does so in a very delicate and subtle way, without distracting from the story. Cannot recommend highly enough!
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Post by OloladeO »

Lovely review. I believe this book will certainly help children going through rough patches, especially in this time when divorce seem to be so rampant.
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Post by Jesse T »

It was great reading this book to my step-daughter (8), we both really enjoyed it. It’s very funny, and Oscar and his friends have a rip-roaring adventure! Highly recommended.
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Post by Kevin David Choka »

My young sister loves that book so much she loves to read it every day
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Post by booklysis »

The cover itself is so attractive. The children are gonna love this book which is full of adventures. Nice review.
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Post by Rafaella Michailidou »

What a smart way to help children cope with the loss of someone loved in their lives. I love books with great meaning, thank you for your review.
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Post by gali »

A kids' book revolving around the a magical adventure of a boy and a talking lizard sounds cool. It is good that the book teaches kids about loss and other important themes in a fun way. That it was well written and edited is to the author's credit. It does sound like a magical tale. Thank you for the review!
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