It’s not easy being a kid
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Everyone gets to decide on your behalf what’s best for you. You are on a schedule that you can’t control, and you have to eat what you don’t want. That’s how it is for Dean. After a bad day at school, Dean is upset with his mother. He didn’t want to go in the first place, and once he got there, everything went downhill. He forgot his homework, and then at recess, he hurt his ankle playing soccer. Worst yet, it is PE’s parachute day (his favorite!), but because of his ankle, he has to sit out and watch all the other kids have fun.
While sitting in the gym watching his classmates play, Dean finds his Principal’s pin and laments about how his day would have gone had he been an adult – an adult with authority like a principal. He takes the pin home that evening, and the next morning, he wakes up as his principal! Dean promises to use this as an opportunity to give the kids at school freedom from adults. But “adulting” isn’t as easy as Dean thinks.
Dean’s Magical Mixup was a fun read that middle schoolers would enjoy
Every kid can relate to Dean and his terrible day. It is times like these where a kid thinks, “If I was an adult and could make my own choices, things would have been different.” The second half of the story shows that being an adult isn’t easy either. Dean tries to create a fun day at school with recess for everyone, a pizza party, and a school-wide game of hide and seek. All of these activities yielded a result Dean had never thought of. Kids get hurt, pizzas cost money, and being held accountable for your actions as an adult is just as bad as being accountable for them as a kid.
Kathleen Davis paints a perfect picture of the pros and cons of age
How often do adults catch themselves saying, “Being a kid is easy.” Or kids think, “Adults get to do whatever they want.” The story responds to both of these using extreme examples. I like how this concept opens the story up for additional conversation for adults to have with kids. Adults and kids can share their own experiences and talk through emotions. Especially when it comes to one party blaming the other for any poor experiences or bad days they may have had.
The pictures included in the story are fun and playful
Each of the illustrations in the book justifies Dean’s emotions. I felt more connected to Dean with the expressions on his face throughout the book especially when he looks at himself in the mirror to see his Principal’s face staring back at him! As Dean navigated his day through Principal Daniel’s body, I laughed at his kid-like expressions and clothes that didn’t fit him.
Dean’s Magical Mixup is well-thought-out and expertly written. I loved the descriptions and would recommend this book for kids and middle schoolers alike!
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