When Alexander feels mad or dad he wants to move to Australia. But most of the time he likes it right where he is. So when his mom and dad say that they're moving a thousand miles away, Alexander decides that he's not going. Never, Not ever. No way. Uh uh. N.O. For how can he leave his best friend or his favorite sitter or Seymour the cleaners? he'd rather stay and live in a tree house or cave. And even though Nick calls him puke-face and Anthony says he's immature, he's not ( Do you hear me? I mean it! ) going to move. PreSchool-Grade 3?Alexander is back. This time he refuses to move 1000 miles away from his best friend, his soccer team, and the cleaners that saves gum wrappers and old teeth if he leaves them in his pockets. He is sure he can stay, perhaps with the family that has six girls and needs a boy, or with the older couple that has a dog. As friends give Alexander going-away presents and his parents suggest that he might be able to call long distance on occasion and maybe even get a dog, he begins to pack. This Alexander shows a different emotion from the angry child in ...the Terrible, Horrible, No-Good Very Bad Day (1972), or the sad one ...Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday (1978, both Atheneum). This defiant Alexander is positively not going to move, "No Way. Uh uh. N.O." Pen-and-ink drawings in the style of Ray Cruz's work bond readers to this new Alexander while adding to the story. Youngsters will enjoy the range of feelings here. They will relate to the older brothers' teasing even as they laugh at the humor, will heartily support Alexander's rebellion against his parents, and will also appreciate the adults for letting him come around on his own terms. A terrific read-aloud and a must-buy for every collection.?Betty Teague, Blythe Elementary School, Greenville SC Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. Gr. 4^-8. Alexander in Viorst's classic 1972 story was having a very bad day. Now he's snarling and scowling because he has to move; his father has a new job 1,000 miles away. Alexander swings between anguish and fury. He will not move. He won't pack. His parents try to be sympathetic; his brother Nick calls him a puke face; his brother Anthony says he's immature. Alexander broods about what he'll miss. He remembers. He fantasizes that he'll hide and stay behind. The detail of the crosshatched drawings, the particularity of the examples, the cadence of the child's voice, express the depth of his feelings. He's bowed with sorrow when he has his last school lunch with his best friend: we see that Alexander's sandwich is untouched. Then gradually, a few images of the new home creep in. Dad promises Alexander a dog, and reluctantly he begins to pack. This story of being uprooted is being told in children's books all the time now, but there's a rare combination here of farce and immediacy and a wonderful empathy for the child's point of view. Alexander just can't bear it. Kids will laugh at the wild exaggeration even as they recognize his heartfelt grief. Hazel Rochman When Alexander feels mad or sad he wants to move to Australia. But most of the time he likes it right where he is. So when his mom and dad say that they're moving a thousand miles away, Alexander decides that he's not going. Never. Not ever. No way. Uh uh. N.O. For how can he leave his best friend on his favorite sitter or Seymour the cleaners? He'd rather stay and live in a tree house or a cave. And even though Nick calls him puke-face and Anthony says he's immature, he's not ( Do you hear me? I mean it! ) going to move. Judith Viorst is the author of the beloved Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day , which has sold some four million copies; the Lulu books, including Lulu and the Brontosaurus ; the New York Times bestseller Necessary Losses ; four musicals; and poetry for children and adults. Her most recent books of poetry include What Are You Glad About? What Are You Mad About? and Nearing Ninety . She lives in Washington, DC. Robin Preiss Glasser is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of the Fancy Nancy series, written by Jane O’Connor; America: A Patriotic Primer , A Is for Abigail , and Our Fifty States by Lynne Cheney; and Tea for Ruby by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. She lives in Southern California with her family. Ray Cruz is the illustrator of the modern classics Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and Alexander , Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday .