As blaring as a scary newspaper headline, as jolting as a TV bulletin, “Making Up Megaboy” describes a tragedy in a small California town. Thirteen-year-old Robbie Jones has shot and killed a local grocer, and he’s not saying why. The book tells Robbie’s story from the viewpoint of people in his life, such as his mom and dad, his best bud, the cop who arrests him, the classmates who go on TV to talk about him and the psychologist who tries to get inside his head. The book, a quick and shocking read, shows that when a kid turns violent, the questions and fear are plentiful, and answers are far from simple. (star) (star) (star)
By Virginia Walter; photo images by Katrina Roeckelein; $9 paperback,
Delacorte Press.
“I’m 16. I’ve never had a drink except Coca-Cola. I’ve never tried a cigarette. I’m ordinary. I’m the most ordinary American there is. And my very own brother has just been killed by terrorists.” After those words in “The Terrorist” by Caroline B. Cooney, Laura Williams takes readers on an unforgettable journey to track down who killed 11-year-old Billy. This story has it all: It’s suspenseful, smart and action-packed, but it also wrenchingly describes the anguish of a family trying to survive the most brutal loss. Cooney fans, this is her best ever. (star) (star) (star) (star)
By Caroline B. Cooney; $4.50 paperback, Scholastic.
When we found out “Spider Sparrow” was written by the author of “Babe: The Gallant Pig” (which became that mega-hit movie), we knew we’d get a touching tale. Spider is a sweet boy growing up on an English farm around the time of World War II. In some ways, he is far behind kids his age — he can speak only a few words, and he doesn’t understand much of his world. But he is extraordinary with animals. They trust him, and he can mimic their languages exactly. The ending’s a tearjerker, but even so, you won’t regret meeting Spider Sparrow. One warning: The book uses a lot of British terms, but there’s a glossary to help.
(star) (star) (star)
By Dick King-Smith; $17 hardcover, Crown Books for Young Readers.
We opened “Judge Judy Sheindlin’s Win or Lose by How You Choose!” because the judge is a scream. But the book is just a bunch of multiple-choice questions about what to do in certain situations. The idea is that parents and kids (the book says ages 7-12) can sit down and discuss these weighty issues… but for kids older than, say, 5, these questions don’t exactly pose tough moral struggles. For example, if you’re standing in a store checkout line, is it really debatable whether you should wait patiently, cut to the front of the line or take your stuff and leave? Still, some of the answers are pretty funny. Take this one:
“A boy in your class just walked out of the bathroom with his fly opened. You should:
A. Go over and whisper in his ear so he knows.
B. Yell to him across the room that his fly is open.
C. Introduce him to some girls who are walking by.
D. Suggest that now would be a good time to get up in front of the class and speak.”
But for anything more than giggles, the book’s for younger kids. (star)
By Judy Sheindlin; $15 hardcover, Cliff Street Books.
Ratings:
(star) (star) (star) (star)
A home run? You bet.
(star) (star) (star)
This pager-turner is almost as much fun as a Sammy Sosa hitting streak.
(star) (star)
Like a sizzlin’ fast pitch, this book went right by us.
(star)
Striiiike! Trade this book in for a winner.
