Module 8: Fake Mustache

Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger

Book Summary:

Lenny Flem, Jr. life changes drastically one day when his best friend, Casper, decides to buy a suit and a fake mustache. Casper seems to change when he wears the mustache, but Lenny doesn’t think much of it. Then the next day he finds out that a bank has been robbed, and he has reason to believe that Casper is behind it. Lenny is thrown into an adventure where, with the help of a famous cowgirl, he has to defeat, but also save his best friend.

APA Reference of Book:

Angleberger, T. (2012). Fake mustache. New York, NY: Amulet Books.

Impressions:

This was a hilarious and interesting story, that I think kids will absolutely love. The crazy circumstances presented in this story will captivate everyone’s imaginations. Mustaches are so popular right now, and I think that in its self will encourage kids to read this book. Angleberger does an excellent job of making this a light-hearted, fun read. The inventions and toys in this book are very clever, like the “LaughBomb” and the “edible eraser shaped like a dead chicken” (Angleberger, 2012, pp. 106). There really isn’t any mystery in this book, but I still really enjoyed reading about the crazy circumstances Lenny gets in.

Professional Review:

“Kids are going to love this over-the-top madcap adventure. Angleberger revels in goofy silliness without getting bogged down in too much detail. The plot is fast-moving with enough suspense to pull kids through from start to finish. They're going to love the twists and turns, the wacky characters and the dangerous situations that Lenny and Jodie O'Rodeo find themselves in.
You'll definitely need to suspend any sense of reality to enter Tom Angleberger's wacky world of Hairsprinkle, USA. Silliness overflows, and questions of "would this really happen" never enter the conversation. But our early readers have definitely given this a thumbs up, recommending it to their friends as funny and a bit unusual.
My one wish is that the book designers made Angleberger's chapter titles more prominent. They're great chapter titles and help keep the plot developments clear for the reader. Young readers definitely need these sign posts to guide their comprehension and understanding of a story. That's especially true for one that takes as many strange turns as Fake Mustache!”

Scheuer, M.A. (2012, April 22). Fake mustache, by Tom Angleberger- goofy silliness perfect for kids who just want to have fun (ages 9-12) [Review of the book Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger]. Great Kid Books. Retrieved from http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2012/04/fake-mustache-by-tom-angleberger-goofy.html

Library Uses:

I would start off giving a book talk about Fake Mustache because I think just by telling the kids the plot they will want to read it. I would then follow it up with a “photo booth” with a background and fake mustaches on sticks for them to take pictures with. You could also have pin-the-mustache-on-the-evil-villain. These two fun mustache activities would get kids excited about reading this book.