Fall's Silly Superlatives
by Sally Lodge -- Publishers Weekly, 7/16/2007
As usual, we were on the lookout while compiling these listings for books that we thought deserved special lighthearted recognition. And here—in the spirit of fun—they are:
Book That Provides Best Ammunition to Parents Weary of Warning Their Kids About Socking Their Siblings: You'll Be Sorry by Josh Schneider, in which Samantha finally regrets hitting her brother when his tears flood the entire town. (Clarion)
Plot Most Likely to Encourage Kids to Watch Their Backs on Field Trips: Class Two at the Zoo by Julia Jarman, illus. by Lynne Chapman, in which students at the zoo don't notice a crafty anaconda as it slithers out of the water and gobbles them up one by one. (Carolrhoda)
Tale Least Recommended for Bedtime Reading to Youngsters Wary of What Lurks Under the Bed: Child's Guide to Common Household Monsters by James Otis Thach, illus. by David Udovic, centering on a girl who realizes her house is full of monsters. (Front Street)
Punniest Title: How Underwear Got Under There: A Brief History by Kathy Shaskan, illus. by Regan Dunnick. (Dutton)
Best Way to Make Sure Your Snack Doesn't Disappear: The Great Doughnut Parade by Rebecca Bond, in which animals and townsfolk fall in behind a boy with a doughnut tied to his belt. (Houghton Mifflin)
Smelliest Spin on Santa: Fartsy Claus by Mitch Chivus, illus. by Mike Reed, which reveals what happens when Santa's snack is franks and beans instead of milk and cookies. (HarperCollins)
Plot Most Likely to Encourage Good Behavior in the Cafeteria: Hot Lunch by Alex Bradley: When two girls have a food fight in the cafeteria, their punishment is to work as lunch ladies. (Dutton)
Most Apropos (and Creepy) Author Pseudonym: Chris P. Flesh, author of the Pretty Freekin Scary series, launching with You Smell Dead and Me So Pretty! (Grosset & Dunlap)
Package Most Likely to Forever Destroy the Squeaky-Clean Image of Bathtime Rubber Duckies: Night of the Living Duckies by T.L. Bonaddio, which presents a book and four rubber ducks decked out as Frankenstein, the Mummy, Dracula and the Werewolf. (Running Press)
Novel Most Likely to Catch the Attention of Feuding Siblings: Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear by Norma Fox Mazer, which pits a younger sister against an older sister. (Scholastic/Levine)
Title Kids Might Have the Most Trouble Requesting at Stores or Libraries: The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. (Little, Brown)
