Ellen R. Braaf (Children's Literature)
Twelve-year-old Tyler Stewart's dream of stardom might not be far-fetched. He is talented and funny, and he has an "in." His Uncle Pete is an Emmy Award-winning writer for "Kids in the House," the hottest prime time show on television. During the two-week summer visit with his uncle, Tyler is introduced to a Hollywood that outsiders never see. He becomes friends with Samantha Franklin, the daughter of the star who plays the "Kids" TV mother, and discovers that they share a lot more than the same birthday. Hollywood-savvy, Samantha helps Tyler prepare for his audition and deal with studio politics. Although he manages to navigate around the objections of his disapproving, perfectionist father and overprotective mother, Tyler's highway to the stars is full of twists, turns, and unexpected speed bumps. At the end of the journey, however, Tyler learns where his true talent lies. Fast paced and funny, this delightful novel is Atinsky's first. A Hollywood insider, he provides the readers with a fascinating, behind-the-scenes look at television and a glimpse into the scriptwriting process. 2002, Random House/Delacorte Press, $14.95. Ages 10 up.

Deborah Stevenson (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, September 2002 (Vol. 56, No. 1))
To the naked eye, Tyler’s just a twelve-year-old visiting his uncle, but as far as he’s concerned, he’s a kid on the path to his destiny: stardom. His uncle is a writer for one of the most successful shows on television, Kids in the House, and Tyler’s determined to land a role on the series despite the reservations and disapproval of his mother and father. That’s a fairly standard middle-grades plot, and the style sometimes tips into fairly standard middle-grades glibness, but the book lifts itself above the average with its detailed exploration of television production (Atinsky has written for CBS and Disney). While there are obstacles and unlikeable people, Atinsky wisely avoids setting up any cardboard villains, letting the process itself provide sufficient challenge for Tyler. Tyler’s a funny and starstruck kid, but he’s also credibly smart, able to see beyond his dreams to the reality (“I was beginning to realize that this waiting thing was a big part of what acting was all about”) and thus give his readers a glimpse of it as well. The combination of Hollywood gloss and unusually insidery information is sure to satisfy kids looking for a zippy read that goes beyond the pages of TV Guide. Review Code: R -- Recommended. (c) Copyright 2002, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2002, Delacorte, 168p, $14.95. Grades 4-6.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2002)
Visiting his television-writer uncle in Hollywood, Tyler observes what life is like on the set of a hit sitcom. Written with a light touch, the novel features likable characters and a well-detailed setting. Although the twelve-year-old protagonist wrangles an audition for Uncle Pete’s series with unlikely ease, the vagaries of show business--which ultimately cost Tyler a possible TV role--are convincingly portrayed. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2002, Delacorte, 169pp, $14.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.