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J. A. Mallow writes books for kids who have things to say. The first is The Wrong Answer Book: 54 situations. None of them your fault.
No wrong answers. The weirder the better.
Reviewed by Jennifer Senick for Readers' Favorite
What would happen if the world suddenly stopped making sense and you had to come up with an explanation? The Wrong Answer Book by J. A. Mallow gives kids 54 unusual situations where the most ridiculous response might be the best one. The book is divided into nine chapters, covering everything from food and sports to science and strange emergencies. One situation involves vegetables protesting in the school cafeteria, while another has gravity taking the day off. There's even a vampire who enrolls in school. Children decide what happens next by choosing from different prompts, called doors. They can also ignore the choices and come up with something entirely their own. If they prefer, they can write their answers, draw pictures, or even act each one out. There are also opportunities to turn some of these prompts into longer stories. The activities don't have to be completed in order, and there aren't any right answers. With so many possibilities, what kind of crazy explanations will kids invent?
The Wrong Answer Book by J. A. Mallow is such a clever idea! I’m sure students in fourth through sixth grade will have a great time with it. The cover immediately caught my attention, and it would definitely appeal to its intended age group. The writing is clear, and the silly situations encourage kids to think outside the box. I thought it was a nice touch to include spaces to write or draw in the book. The guide at the end was helpful, too, especially with its examples of different ways to use your imagination. I think this would work really well for an after-school creative writing club. Some of the spooky activities could even be adapted for younger grades around Halloween. I'd have the class talk about what they might do in those situations or draw their own versions of what happens. Aya Suarjaya's illustrations add to the humor and give children ideas for their own drawings. I can also see them pulling this book off the shelf whenever they're bored and having a lot of fun coming up with their own crazy ideas. I believe it deserves a place in classrooms and libraries because it gives kids a chance to use their imaginations without worrying about getting something wrong.
