Alvin Ho: Allergic to Babies, Burglars, and Other Bumps in the Night

I read this aloud to my kiddo and we both loved the details of Chinese life throughout and the realistic details of school and family. Plus general silliness.

Getting a new sibling is a pretty common theme in children's literature. Undoubtedly because for many children it is a big deal. But I doubt many books with that theme are as funny as this one. Alvin is stunned when his mother informs him that she is pregnant and will be having a baby. Alvin freaks out big time (not unusual for him). And he is even more shocked when he is informed that he is 'sympathetically pregnant' or 'simply pathetic pregnant' as he puts it. And his friends really aren't much help telling him the dangers of naming the baby, getting fat, and crying babies. In addition, Alvin is pushed into donating his life savings and his PDK (Personal Disaster Kit) to help those suffering from the earthquake in Haiti. Can Alvin learn how to deal with the coming baby? What if, horror of horrors, it's a girl?!Alvin is a sweet boy who worries/stresses about pretty much everything on the planet, but who honestly wants to help others and do the right thing. And his family is always right there to back him up. His brother Calvin and his Rube Goldberg machines, Anibelly's kind words, and his mother's efforts to help him adjust to the coming baby all help give Alvin the support he needs to let go of some of his worries. The book is quite funny, Alvin is constantly misunderstanding what he is told by his teacher, his classmates and even his family. This book is a light fun read for early middle grade readers who may find themselves worrying about the world around them and the changes found there. Recommended.

A well-written, funny book about the trials and tribulations of a quirky Chinese-American second grader. In this 5th book in the highly entertaining Alvin Ho series, Alvin's mother is expecting a baby, and Alvin experiences symptoms of a sympathetic pregnancy. We enjoyed the references woven throughout the book to aspects of Chinese culture (language, food, etc.) and liked that the book presented the culture of being Chinese-American without beating you over the head with it in a preachy way. The illustrations are also beautifully done. Please note that there is a glossary in the back for historical and cultural references. The glossary is very useful (and also hilarious) so you should consult it throughout your reading of the book. We have read all of the Alvin Ho books available to date (6 books so far) and this one is my kid's favourite. We hope the author Ms. Look comes out with a new Alvin Ho book very soon!

These books would be good for boys and girls. My 2nd grade son and I read this entire series together. Every night we looked forward to learning what predicaments the well-meaning Alvin got himself into. Alvin is smart, sweet, creative, funny and tries to be a gentleman. Alvin is also shy, anxious, and unable to speak in public. My son says,"I like to read Alvin Ho. I think these are good books. I hope there will be more, like books #7, 8, 9 and 10! I think the next book should be 'Alvin Ho:Allergic to history, reading and other big stuff.'"

This series is just amazing. Alvin Ho has better values than the white values we see in series like Juni B Jones.

I bought this book to donate to a school library. The Alvin Ho series is a big hit in this school and the books fly off the shelf. This book is no exception. Ms. Look has a way with words. Poor Alvin has a "pathetic" pregnancy while is mom is pregnant. Enjoyable book.

On time, high quality and well packaged.

My grandson loves Alvin Ho and all stories about his adventures.

This was for my children aged 6 - 10 (girl and two boys). We also have the audio books which they loved but they have also enjoyed picking up the book as it has fun little illustrations. Can't recommend highly enough - very funny. An enjoyable read. My six year old girls first chapter book - her choice - so not just for boys.