Double Trouble Ditto Box

Betty Schuler
Illustrator Susan Bodendorfer

2/6/2004

Review by Molly

Red haired, green eyed inventor Randy O’Rourke is back. This time his invention is a ditto box that can copy anything. When Randy’s best friend Jake Silverman get the secret signal by telephone he rushes over to see the new invention. And the boys begin to copy homework, Jake’s baseball mitt and even his dog Asthma. But almost as soon as they copy the friends realize something is wrong. The machine copies backwards unless you are very careful when you put the thing inside. Asthma’s clone Sneeze loves Jake, not Randy. When Mom tells Randy he must baby-sit his little sister Randy decides to copy Suzy. Now there are two whiny threes little sisters for him to contend with. And his trouble has only begun. Now the box has gone crazy and makes 48 copies of everything before one by one the copies begin to disappear.

Former elementary school teacher turned writer Schuler gets right inside the thinking of ten to twelve year olds as she writes her engaging series featuring Randy O’Rourke. As with the first in the series Double Trouble Ditto Box also is made up of fast paced eleven chapters sure to captivate kids of the target age. Boys and girls alike will find much to enjoy in the story of a clever boy and his determination to beat the odds and find the easy way to take care of homework, baby sitting and other responsibility facing him.

One important lesson taught in Double Trouble Ditto Box ‘Imitation rarely comes up to the standard of the original’. Schuler presents another well developed work in Double Trouble Ditto Box, reader interest is piqued right from the opening lines when we find Randy putting the finishing touches on his latest invention. Reader interest is held fast as we read the various problems and ‘solutions’ Randy encounters before he finally comes to understand that sometimes there are no easy ways out and we must simply do what is expected.

Vocabulary used in Double Trouble Ditto Box centers on the target audience of middle grade readers. The narrative will appeal to 8-9 year olds having strong reading skills, and will be enjoyed by the 10-14 age group as well. Double Trouble Ditto Box is sure to prove an asset to the home and school library where it will be used for pleasure reading as well as fill a need for use in a classroom unit about responsibility and thinking ahead.

You can find more about this book at the Writer's Exchange