Klutzhood- Chris McMahen
Arlos is making a move and he doesn’t like it! A small town doesn’t hold a candle to Victoria, and even more horrible, all the kids can talk about is hockey. He makes excuse after excuse as to why he can’t play, but the truth is, he doesn’t even know how to skate. So desperate is he to escape his fate, he allows himself to be initiated into a gang called The Dumpster Dudes, and is commanded by their leader, X, to perform several outlandish escapades. When these are not successful, he is eventually shamed into playing a game of hockey, and lo and behold, he loves the game and isn’t even all that bad at it! Klutzhood is an apt title for an entertaining read.
There are lots of surprises in this story and lots of humour including the kind some of our boys will eat up. It was also refreshing in that the students at the new school were generally welcoming and inclusive. I know many of our authors are currently focussing on the bullying aspect of new situations so it is nice to see a book that highlights some of the good kids.
This is nominated for the Diamond Category (grades 4-6) for the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Award.
Diamond Willow, Middle Years, Realistic Fiction | Comment (0)Leave a Reply
