Hautman, Pete. Slider.

Hautman, Pete. Slider. Candlewick Press  2017 278p $16.99    978-0-7636-9070-0  ms/jr  Realistic Fiction  E-BN     

David Miller can eat. He’s an average kid, but has a special talent --  despite his small size, he can put away an entire pizza himself in less than four minutes.  He is in awe of other food champions, which leads him to steal his mother’s credit card to purchase the half-eaten hot dog of one of his food-contest idols, Jooky Garafalo. But, he mixes up his decimal points, and ends up bidding $2,000 instead of $2 on his winning bid.  Along with his sidekicks, Cyn and Heyman, he concocts a plan to earn back the money: he will follow in the footsteps of his heroes and enter food-eating contests. 

David must train if he is to beat his competition, and so he eats heads of cabbages, entire pizzas, and bags full of hamburgers.  His training is complicated by his caring for his brother Mal who is autistic, but for whom that label is forbidden in the Miller home, plus the normal problems confronting 12-year-old boys on the brink of adolescence.

Pete Hautman tells David's hilarious story in the first-person voice. Despite the larger-than-life characters and implausible plot, the story rings true because of David’s family, friendships, and voice.     This is a hysterically funny book for middle-school and junior-high students.    

Summary: After “borrowing” his mother’s credit card and making a $2,000 mistake, David Miller enters food-eating contests to earn back the money he owes her before she learns the truth.

Humor-Fiction                                      --Lisa Teixeira

Hautman, Pete. The Flinkwater Factor.

Hautman, Pete.  The Flinkwater Factor.  Simon & Schuster  2015  256p  $16.99  ISBN 978-1-4814-3251-1  ms    Science fiction  VG-BN      

It must be fun to produce a book with as much humor, techie geek “stuff” and convoluted intrigue as Hautman did in this book.  Flinkwater is a town much like Silicon Valley, with its famous ACPOD, a delightfully creative company that produces a wide assortment of the newest computer technology, robots, and other inventions of the contemporary technological world.  Ginger is the protagonist who faces obstacles that are uniquely creative and humorous, along with her wannabe boyfriend, Billy George, beginning with the bonking of their town.  With bonking, people who fix their gaze on their screen saver become drooling idiots.  The list of supporting characters includes Billy’s brother, the psychopath who is always in trouble, animal lover Myke, a very moley Professor Little, parents, inventors, and business owners, all of whom develop relationships and connections that become apparent in the resolution.  As the plot develops, the tech industry is at the center of all conflicts, and the teens must figure out how to help their town rid itself of an unscrupulous competitor to ACPOD that tries to control the robot market, and, unbelievably, the government itself!  Ginger’s humorous narration is the key to this book’s success, as is the introduction of new ideas in technology that will thrill any readers with even a remote interest in science.  In a wonderful post-script at the end, Hautman adds a section entitled “Science or Fantasy,” in which he clarifies all of the book’s concepts, both old and new.                   

This book is a very good choice for middle-school readers.  With much of its content relating to the computer industry, less sophisticated readers will not be able to follow the technology.  Nevertheless, it will be enjoyed by those who embrace humor, intrigue and fun in a book!

Summary: When Ginger discovers that many town citizens have been “bonked”, she quickly enlists the help of her friend Billy George.  Together they face the digital dog Sasquatch, Homeland Security officers, and other formidable characters with humor and intrigue.          

Technology-Fiction                                          --Martha Squaresky

What Boys Really Want

Hautman, Pete     What Boys Really Want    

Scholastic/Grolier/Childrens Press/Watts 2012   297p  $17.99      978-0-545-11315-1    VG-BN       hs    Realistic fiction/Conflict   

Lita fancies herself a writer, and she has an advice blog that she runs under the pseudonym of Ms. Fitz.  Adam, her best friend, decides to write a self-help book for girls called What Boys Want, and therein lies their conflict.  While Adam is getting all sorts of recognition for his forthcoming book -- which he is constantly bragging about and pre-selling copies of, to anyone who will listen -- her own romance novel lies, unfinished, at the bottom of a desk drawer, and she is loathe to let anyone know that she is Ms. Fitz.  Her resentment and jealousy toward Adam are palpable.  Various romantic entanglements ensue, involving both these characters and their friends, until the denouement, when Lita discovers that Adam has plagiarised most of his book from her blog.  There is a huge confrontation that leads to their reconciliation and deeper understanding of each other.

While it is certainly not great literature, this one will appeal to reluctant readers who like gossipy romance stories.  The students use language that students really use, with terms like "pissed off" and "ass" appearing on almost every page.  The moodiness and melodrama should keep pages turning for kids who like gossipy novels.      

VG-BN Carol Kennedy     Creative Writing, Friendship 

 

Hautman, Pete. Blank Confession

Hautman, Pete. Blank Confession
Simon & Schuster/Little Brown 2010 170p 16.99
978-1-4424-1028-2 ms/hs Conflict VG
Mysterious Shayne befriends the smallest boy in school, neutralizes bullies and confronts the school drug dealer. Why is he in the police station confessing to a murder? And who did he kill? As with many of Hautman’s books, the pleasure is getting to the enigmatic surprise ending. And, as with many of his protagonists, all is not as it seems on the surface. The story moves back and forth, from the interrogation room and a uneasy policeman, to Mikey, a undersized high school student who is befriended by the mysterious Shane Blank. A drug dealer, his “shadows” and girlfriend (who is Mikey’s older sister), and the rooftop of a condo all collide in an ending that seems predictable, yet still manages to confound the reader. As with Invisible, readers will know that there is something not quite right about the altruistic Shane, but they will have to wait until the end to really find out who and what he is.

Hautman has built a following of readers who like quirky characters, slightly troubling plots and twisted endings. While this is not as good as Invisible or Godless, it is an engrossing story. Great for reluctant readers, especially guys, but girls will also be drawn to this novel. Fans of Todd Strasser, Terry Trueman and John Green will enjoy this and others of Hautman’s novels. Recommended for high school and upper middle school collections. Hautman’s books are always compelling and will appeal to even the most reluctant readers. Naismith, Pat