Alvin’s family is going on vacation to China! That sounds great, but Alvin is terrified, no, not terrified, allergic to scary things like this. He’s pretty sure they will all be standing upside down, in the future, and who isn’t afraid of that? Since he has to go, he packs his Personal Disaster Kit and prepares for all the scary things he will run into. On his journey, Alvin will be naked and questioned at the airport, climb 28 flights of stairs many times, ride a cable car to the top of the Great Wall, and search for souvenir candy. It’s also Christmas, and Alvin decides to get a gift for a girl in an orphanage. But she wants a friend, and how do you give someone that? Alvin manages to figure it out, and maybe, just maybe, he will have fun along the way. This book will make you laugh out loud! I especially loved how Alvin refers to baby Claire, who he says is the size of a fish, as a different fish each time.  

The whole series is available as e-books and  e-audio on Overdrive Digital Library.   

Book reviewed by Claire B., Youth Outreach Librarian