I Wanna New Room - by Karen Kaufman Orloff Hardcover

About the Book

Ever since their baby sister came along, Alex has been forced to share a room with his little brother, Ethan, and it's a nightmare. Ethan always breaks stuff, snores like a walrus, and sticks crayons up his nose. No hardworking, well-behaved, practically grown-up boy like Alex should have to put up with that. Full color.

Book Synopsis

A hilarious companion to I Wanna Iguana that all siblings will relate to.

Ever since their baby sister came along, Alex has been forced to share a room with his little brother, Ethan, and it's a nightmare. Ethan always breaks stuff, snores like a walrus, and sticks crayons up his nose. No hardworking, well-behaved, practically grown-up boy like Alex should have to put up with that!

Writing letters to his mom convinced her to let him get his pet iguana, so Alex puts pencil to paper again, this time determined to get his own room. Though all of his powers of persuasion can't get his dad to expand the house, he does come through with a fun alternative to give Alex some space of his own.

Look for more stories highlighting Alex's negotiation skills: I Wanna Iguana and I Wanna Go Home.

Review Quotes

"Orloff's second epistolary tale is just as inventive and enjoyable as the first. Catrow's distinctive pencil-and-watercolor illustrations elevate the (mostly) realistic exchange in the letters to deliriously preposterous heights. The nearly wordless conclusion is as satisfying as it is unexpected. A sneaky lesson wrapped up in a flaky bundle of fun." --Kirkus Reviews

"Alex and his good-natured dad begin their own guy-to-guy letter exchange . . . [and] the child vs. parent points of view and the sibling rivalry all ring hilariously true. Catrow's zany pencil and watercolor illustrations capture perfectly the madcap daydreams in Alex's head as well as the familiar detritus of a young boy's room. (The iguana still lives there!) A surefire kid-pleaser with a subtle, sweet lesson in peaceful coexistence." --School Library Journal

"The slapstick, sibling anger, and crowding issues are all spot-on." --Booklist

About the Author

Karen Kaufman Orloff lives in Hopewell Junction, New York.

David Catrow, illustrator of the Book Sense Best Book of the Year Finalist Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, lives in Springfield, Ohio.