Midnight Mayhem

Uss (The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle) channels the vivacious absurdity of Daniel Pinkwater in this madcap tale about seeking friendship and fun. White-cued, 11-year-old Kaz Jakobsen and his family are new to Philadelphia. At Sunday brunch, not long after the move, Kaz consumes “very rooty root beer” as well as neon-green mustard that a local claims will “put hair on your chest.” Following the meal, Kaz finds he is never tired and has no desire to rest. A week goes by with no change to this new pattern, prompting Kaz’s parents to enroll him in a hospital sleep lab. Frustrated and bored, Kaz sneaks out of the lab and encounters Floyd, a kid his own age carrying a box containing two barn owls. Floyd, who requires very little sleep himself and is well-versed in hospital escapes, guides Kaz to an all-night food truck with cheesy fries, the first in a string of nighttime misadventures that expose Philly newcomer Kaz to everything the city has to offer. The inventive, off-the-wall plot delivers steady amusement as down-to-earth Kaz contends with Floyd’s “mayhem-inducing” ideas as well as nighttime extremes of dullness and havoc, making for an airy read that evokes laughs and smiles. Ages 8–12. Agent: Ammi-Joan Paquette, Aevitas Creative Management. (Mar.)