I read this book between March 9th and March 14th, 2020 and gave it two stars. Sadly, it didn't do it for me. I had high hopes for it since it features a female main character who writes her own comic book, so I thought it would be empowering, challenging the so-called gender roles. Besides that, Clara is going to compete in a game show, and though I don't read a lot about games or competitions in books, that can certainly make a plot exciting. It had all the elements to make it a solid read for me, but it didn't deliver.

One of the first signs to me that probably I wasn't going to enjoy this book was the fact that the main character, who is also the narrator, uses words that are "too big" for a kid. She uses words and phrases her ideas in ways that an adult could, and that's a pet peeve of mine: when you can tell that the author is an older person trying to sound younger. 

The other big issue I had was related to Clara's character, again, especially when we consider that this book will be mainly read by children. She came across as petty to me, and I didn't find her likable or appealing for young readers. Clara criticizes everybody who surrounds her or she thinks mean things about them, even her friends. For example, she compares one of her friends to a mouse because she's small and quiet. That didn't sit well with me, especially since Clara thinks that she's perfect and she doesn't grow as a character or realize that the way she thinks is wrong. 

Clara has a best friend called Bradley and she constantly says that he's quiet and shy. The first time this was said and the first time the gameshow was mentioned, I thought we would have them both fight because they were both competing. It went sort of like that since at first Bradley's mom's boyfriend is the person who makes him compete, but then once they're both in the gameshow, the contestants (Clara included) start pulling pranks on each other and basically cheating to make the other one lose. This, again, is never addressed and there are no repercussions against anyone.

This is such a fun title for young readers! I enjoyed Clara Humble and this cute story. Highly recommend it!

Clara’s favorite quiz show is coming to town, and she can’t wait to audition to be a contestant! She knows she will win, and she wants her best friend, Bradley, to help her train. But as the competition heats up, a war starts between the boys and girls at her school. To top it off, Bradley starts acting weird!

Clara learns some big lessons in this fun new installment of the Clara Humble series. The game show setting is an interesting concept, with crazy physical challenges and (sometimes gooey) penalties for wrong answers to trivia questions. Clara must decide whether to go against her conscience to win. This action-packed story will keep readers hooked until the very end and cheering for both Clara and Bradley!

I received an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

Clara's great and this book will be fun for fans of the series.

My galley read from NetGalley didn't quite make it through all the way I don't think... 

The story was cute and it had a good message, BUT I think there were pictures and comics that I couldn't see/read properly.

Overall, a good story about friendship and doing your absolute best. And a story that has a great lesson behind it.

Not what I was expecting at all. This book offers a lively adventure of the battle between friends and girls vs boys.

I loved the concept of the book but unfortunately I found the execution tiring. Select words and phrases were repeated over and over again to my chagrin. I wanted the story to show how Clara was exuberant not say it with words.

This is the second book in the Clara Humble series. These books are geared to children ages 8 to 12. Nine year old Clara has a best friend named Bradley, they are neighbours and are also in the same fourth grade class. She is the outspoken, loud, visible one and he is the quiet one who cheers her on. 

When Clara and Bradley find out that their favourite game show, Smarty Pants is going to be filming in their home town, they are excited. Clara is sure that she will be chosen as a participant with Bradley's help. She already knows how she will spend the $1000.00 she will win getting her comic book printed. Bradley trains Clara, but on the day of the auditions, he tries out as well. They both get selected and will have to compete against one another. As the competition heats up, the boys and girls in the school begin to sabotage one another and cheat in order to win. Not only do things get sticky on the set, but it escalates into a girls against boys battle at school as well. As things heat up, a rift between Clara and Bradley develops. Will Clara and Bradley's friendship survive? Will the girls and boys at school ever get along again? Who will win Smarty Pants?

Lots of issues in this book. You could discuss bullying, competition, fair play, friendship, challenges between the sexes, honesty and more. The illustrations are a combination of black and white drawings of Clara and Bradley and Clara's comic strip @cat. They are cute and add to the story with intermittent appearances. A great book for a public, school, class or home library. Great for reluctant readers as it is quite relatable to middle grade students.

Elementary school kids will love this story! There's just enough suspense to keep them engaged the whole way through. Underneath the plot, there's a quiet message about the importance of being yourself and not running with the crowd.