Cricket Readers Recommend

You wouldn't think that two rats, Shakespeare and yellow tights, could be related, would you? But Gary Schimdt does a great job tying them all together in this hilarlarious novel. Holling Hoodhood is in 7th grade at Camillo Junior High. His father insists that all the family be on their best behavior at all times so that there will be plenty of jobs for the family architecture firm--even though Holling knows Mrs. Baker is out to get him. Meanwhile, the Vietnam war is going on, so everybody has bigger problems to worry about, but to Holling, the biggest problem is that Mrs. Baker is making him read Shakespeare--outside of class! With joking, lively dinnertime converstaion, and lima bean throwing, Holling tries to make it through the year. This is a charming book that I hope everybody has a chance to read, but be warned: it will make you want to read Shakespeare!