Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet

By Graham Salisbury

Fourth-grader Calvin lives near the beach in Oahu with his mom and little sister. Mom says: “You’re the man of the house.” But Calvin’s not great at being the man of the house, or taking care of his responsibilities. He’s too busy having fun with his pals, and avoiding Tito, the bully.

Trouble Magnet is the first book in a new series for younger readers full of all the fun of growing up in Hawaii. It introduces a wonderful multicultural cast of characters, including Mr. Purdy, who calls his fourth-grade class Boot Camp; Uncle Scoop, who runs the lunch wagon at the beach; Ledward, Mom’s 6'7" boyfriend; and gorgeous, intimidating, 15-year-old Stella-from-Texas, who arrives to be the live-in babysitter—and to step all over Calvin’s turf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 24, 2009
• ISBN: 9780375893933

Reviews for Calvin Coconut

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always love how Graham Salisbury makes the everyday multiculturalism of Hawaii come alive for young readers. This is the first of a promising new series about 4th grader Calvin Coconut and the everyday scrapes he gets into, in this case, running afoul of bully Tito, losing a pet centipede in class, and almost losing a man's kiteboard. From the descriptions, Calvin's family is of modest means and cluttered life (Dad left the family to pursue a singing career; Mom's boyfriend helps out around the house; the family takes in a friend's troubled teenaged daughter). But Calvin takes everything in stride, island-style.

[jordan70-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book will relate to any child who has a bad day at school, and spills over into a week or more. The characters are necessary to the plot as they give perspective to the story. Stella's character is a bit too mean right out of the box, but it add to the conflict. Any parent that would make their child sleep in a shed outside for a mean guest, and have this mean little girl as a babysitter, is questionable and I strayed from the story just thinking about it.. Some elements were too overplayed. The bullying was well portrayed, and funny, and any kid could relate.

[tahleen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love all the Calvin Coconut books. It so strongly evokes Hawaii and the culture there, I felt like I was back there. Plus Calvin is just so likable.

[pussreboots · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Calvin Coconut: Trouble Magnet is the first in a new series by Graham Salisbury. Trouble always seems to find Calvin even when he's doing his best to avoid it. At home he has to give up his room to a girl from Texas. At school he's got a couple of bullies to avoid. To make matters worse, one of the bullies has a crush on the girl from Texas!The Calvin Coconut books are set on the island of Oahu. As Graham Salisbury explains on the series website, he has set the books in his old elementary school. What this means is that the characters in Calvin Coconut seem real without being an obvious lesson on Hawaiian multiculturalism.Instead of focusing on Hawaiian culture being different, Calvin and his friends learn through trial and error how different Texas culture. What strikes them as normal strikes Calvin's house guest as weird. Being in a Pacific rim state too, I find Hawaiian culture more normal than Texan, so I can relate to Calvin's bewilderment.The books are best for children in second through fifth grade. There are delightful illustrations by Jacqueline Rogers to accompany the silliest of the scenes in the book.There are four books planned and I've read two. I hope to read the others.(

[sullywriter_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I prefer Salisbury's novels for older readers. These are good books for elementary-age boys. Not as funny as Gantos's Joey Pigza or Jack Henry books but entertaining. The Hawaiian setting gives the stories a unique flavor.

[sacamp_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Calvin lives in hawaii. A beautiful girl has come to live with his family for a year. the girl is not nice to Calvin at all but Calvin also has to worry about a bully at school how is completely trying to corner just him.

[kcolema · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is an OK read for an early chapter book. The fun setting is what I enjoyed most about this, the story was not anything special.

[debnance_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Calvin is Henry Huggins. Calvin is Tom Sawyer. Calvin is the all-American boy we’ve come to know and love. In trouble most of the time, but somehow it’s not really his fault. So we know this character, but do we? Calvin lives in Hawaii. His dad is a pop singer who hit it big and left the family for the mainland. One of Calvin’s new friends has just come to Hawaii and is having difficulty fitting in because he is white. I like it. And it is my first official 2010-2011 Bluebonnet book. Nineteen more to go.