Wise Acres

Every avid reader (or wild reader as I have begun calling them since I read Doralyn Miller's newest book, Reading in the Wild) knows what they'd like to read next.  They either have a list or a stack or at least an author in mind.  We encourage our students to do the same.  The anticipation of reading the next book is sometimes the only motivation we have to finish the book we're currently reading!  I had to do that with The Yearling by Rawlings.  Although I agree that it's a classic story, I did not enjoy it as much as I do other young adult fiction.  Had I not had Operation Oleander by Valerie O. Patterson on the bedside table, I may not have finished The Yearling as fast.  However, as I've explained to the students before, what we plan to read next may not be what we actually read next.  Case in point...Insurgent.  I had not planned to read it but I found a copy!  Then I HAD to read the next book, so I pushed Oleander to the side again.  And then to my surprise, the seventh book in the Heck series arrived and I absolutely HAVE to read that too!  I haven't abandoned the idea of reading Operation Oleander;  I intend to read it because I feel it will have value in our middle school library.  But it will have to wait!  :)  

Now, let me say something about Wise Acres.  The series is not for the faint-hearted.  It's full of pun and sarcasm and the humor truly is lost on the young.  I cackle.  I cry.  I lose my breath.  I love trying to catch every cultural reference I can.  And to be honest, I miss many because I don't have the 60s or early 70s to reference.  It's not something I would recommend to any middle school or high school reader.  With that being said, if you know someone who has read Dante's Inferno and has a firm grasp on 80s, 90s and current 21st century culture, then this is the book for them!  I don't consider myself to be world by any means, but for the past 18 years I have been conscious of what young adults are reading, watching, and listening to.  I have to keep up so I can talk to these kids!  Anyhow, it's kept me up to date on cultural icons and trends, most of which make it into Basye's books.  I love how he makes fun of everybody!  Especially those who act bad!  

Here's how Amazon.com advertises this latest book... 

"In the seventh installment of Heck, Dale E. Basye sends Milton and Marlo Fauster to Wise Acres, the circle reserved for kids who sass back. In Wise Acres, the cleverest, snarkiest, put-downiest kids debate and trade insults in Spite Club. But the new vice principal, Lewis Carroll, has some curious plans to raise the profile—and the stakes—of the competition. Now a full-fledged War of the Words will be broadcast through the afterlife. The winner will get the heck out of Heck and go straight to heaven. And the loser? Well, the loser goes down . . . all the way down to the real h-e-double-hockey-sticks. And Milton and Marlo are on opposite teams. Can they find a way out of Lewis Carroll’s mad-as-a-hatter scheme? Or is one Fauster about to pay a permanent visit to the Big Guy Downstairs?"

Happy Reading!
RC