Uncanny!: Even More Surprising Stories - Hardcover

Gr 4-8-- Each of these nine short stories is narrated by a boy who has experienced a bizarre event. The protagonists lack real personality, however, as characterization takes a backseat to plot twists and unexpected endings, most of which will catch readers off guard. In some cases, a dull setup overshadows the payoff. Readers do finally see how a dog can fly in ``UFD,'' but the pages leading up to that discovery are uninvolving. Few of Jennings's descriptive details are wasted. When he opens ``Mousechap'' by mentioning a dung beetle, it should not be a surprise (but it is) to see it figure in the ending as a boy's Aunt Scrotch receives her just fate. Macabre humor and some pure grossness are sprinkled into most of the stories. One boy throws up 40 bowls of spaghetti . . . twice. Another squeezes inside a dead and rotting beached whale. The lack of substance and characterization will put off some children, but others (including many reluctant readers) will be grabbed by the humor, the weirdness, and the surprises. --Steven Engelfried, Pleasanton Lib .

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.