Cricket Legend

Sailing Supremo

The Too Cool Series, including

            Too Cool Invincible Iron Man

            Too Cool Skateboard Ripper

            Too Cool Golfing Giant

            Too Cool Rugby Great

            Too Cool Sonic Mountain Bike

            Too Cool Soccer Superstar

            Too Cool Parkball Hotshot

            Too Cool Sailing Supremo

This series is about a boy called TOO COOL, who thinks he is a champion at every sport. Too Cool thinks he is an invincible Iron Man, a skateboard ripper, a golfing giant, a rugby great, a soccer superstar, a parkball hotshot, a sailing supremo and the best mountain bike rider. He imagines himself playing rugby for Australia, playing golf at the British Open and sailing in a two-day boat race.

This is a good series, with lots of anticipation. A sports-lover would be a Too Cool-lover. For example, if you like basketball, then Too Cool, Slam-Dunk Magician would be for you.

Too Cool and his friends have lots of personality. The different personalities add interest to the stories. I have found while reading the series that Too Cool likes to answer questions about himself at the back of the book, just before the quiz.

I recommend the Too Cool series to children between 7 and 10 years old. The language is appropriate for the intended audience. The words used are fairly straightforward, but they are well suited to building up the atmosphere. Any special terms that are used are explained at the end of the book. The illustrations help the story along, although it would be nicer if they were in colour.

If I could meet the author, I would ask that if he writes bmore Too Cool books, could he use some more rich and interesting language and make them a bit longer.

I recommend these books for children to read alone or for adults to read aloud to them, as they are quite short.

Merredy . 8, Canberra

Grand Prix
Champ

Tennis Ace

TENNIS ACE
Its the Australian Tennis Open. Too Cool and Gemma Jones are taking on the great Brick and Wall. Tennis is popular this season because of this match and Too Cool is a huge success! The match begins with Too Cool serving the ball. Brick whacks it back. Dog the ballboy returns the ball to play. Backwards and forwards it goes until Gemma gets the ball and yes! She gets a point! Then Too Cool gets an ace. Yes! Too Cool is really into the game..

  "Too Cool, how many times have I told you not to wear good clothes when playing! his Mum calls. She thinks he is just playing around in the backyard with the dog!

Too Cool goes to get changed, then back into it! Backwards and forwards and then, we won! That was a great last shot.

Too Cool, what have you done to my flowers?! Oh dear. But hed just won the Australian Open! Sigh! Mum just doesnt understand!

As well as a good story, this book gives information about tennis, explains tennis terms, shows what a real tennis court looks like, has a map of Too Cools backyard tennis court, a quiz about tennis and a fun interview with Too Cool by Too Cool! It is one of a series of books where Too Cool pretends to be a champion at a number of sports.

It is a good book. The author has a nice way of writing and the words are clear to see. I recommend it as a readalone book for 7 to 9 year old children. The topic of the Australian Open Tennis Championship is suitable and interesting. When you first start reading the book, you think it is not funny, but it is a the more you get into it, the more you laugh book.

Merredy, 7, ACT  

The choice of topic was different to a lot of other titles because I have never heard the name Too Cool.  It is suitable for my age group which is 8-9 but it would probably suit boys around that age because they might be interested in basketball.

The quality of Too Cool Slam Dunk Magician was  excellent because not too many books have quizzes and teach you the basic steps of how to play a game or do something that not many people would teach you how to do.

The illustrations were great and they matched the story line. The readability was just a little bit too easy for me but I recommend it for 8-9 year olds because it is not too easy and not too hard.

The language is appropriate for the audience because it has no inappropriate language to disturb the readers.  And yes, the style of print and size of the writing were easy to read.  The layout assists the reader while they are reading.

I thought it was a read-aloud book because it was very interesting and your family  might be interested in basketball.

I thought Too Cool Slam Dunk Magician was a good book and hope to read the other Too Cool Books.  I think the quiz was good because it gave you information about basketball like how to dribble and pass, and what a penalty shot is and how a game works.

I also think Phil Kettle is a great writer and Craig Smith is a fabulous illustrator. I really enjoyed Too Coll Slam Dunk Magician and I hope you do too.
Belinda, 9, ACT

SLAM DUNK MAGICIAN
This story is about a boy named Toocool who is sound asleep dreaming about playing basketball in the NBA Championship Final. All of a sudden his mother who wants him to wake up, have breakfast and get ready for school wakes Toocool up. Having a sleepover at Toocools place is his friend Tony.

They get up, have breakfast, clean their teeth and then they go outside and play a game of basketball before going to school.

Toocool decides to pretend that its the NBA Championship Final and they are playing in front of a big crowd. On Toocools team is himself and a brick wall called Brick. On the other team are his friend Tony and his dog. The crowd is a Rooster and a group of hens.

Toocool really did think it was a NBL Championship Final and the game was really close, although his mother kept on bothering him during the game because she just wanted him to get ready to go to school.

In the end, Toocools team won and he signed his autograph on wall. Toocools mum wasnt very happy about him writing on the wall and told him to go off to school and when he came home he had to clean the wall. Toocool wasnt very happy with this because he was now an NBA Champion and his mum did not understand.

I enjoyed reading this book and read it in half an hour. It may have been a bit easy for me but I still enjoyed reading it. Its a good book for people around my age and its good for kids who like sport. The illustrations were good but it would be better if they were in colour.

I think its a read aloud book with the style and size of the print just right as well as the language. I would probably tell my friends this is a good book to read and I would also read the other Toocool books which are in this series.

Rachel, 8, Canberra  

AUTHOR: Phil Kettle

ILLUSTRATOR: Craig Smith

Scholastic Education 2002

Visit Toocool'swebsite

Too Cool is a short but good book about a boy who has a big imagination. Too Cool is an enjoyable book and resembles Aussie Bites stories. Its good for readers around the age of 6. I would give this book a 7/10.

Chiara, age 11, Sydney