Easy Avenue

November 1, 1998
Gr 7-9-Hulbert "Hubbo" O'Driscoll is a teenaged golf caddy about to start high school. Things are going from bad to worse as he finds true love in the form of Fleurette Featherstone Fitchell and true hate in the form of the elitist Hi-Y club. Life looks fairly grim for this lad, his friends, and his guardian, Mrs. O'Driscoll, but the fortunes are smiling on this hapless orphan, and he is canny enough to nod his head and smile right back. The story takes place in post-World War II Canada where society cruelly draws the lines between rich and poor. Doyle's writing takes star billing in this perfectly crafted, rollicking read. The narrative is colorful, with some delightfully comic moments, and the story and language are completely accessible to teens. The character list at the end with brief Hubboized synopses is a fun way to wrap up this great rags-to-riches tale with a surprising twist at the end.-Lisa Denton, J. S. Russell JHS, Lawrenceville, VA

December 1, 1998
Gr. 6^-9. Teenager Hulbert "Hubbo" doesn't have it easy. An orphan in 1950s Canada, he is being brought up by Mrs. O'Driscoll, and the two share a poor but happy existence. Things change when Hulbert begins receiving mysterious money, comes by a job keeping an elderly woman company, and is suddenly pursued by an exclusive school club. These twists of fate taint his security about his home life, and his relationships with his best friends, Fleurette and Denny, erode. Before he becomes too wrapped up in the good life, however, he predictably comes back down to earth. The novel has more than a few flaws: the characters are defined by their quirks, and Hulbert's sudden snobbery is abrupt and unconvincing. But while the scattershot narrative meanders, Hulbert is a compelling, observant, and likable hero, and he lends the story a classic "Teen Lit" feel that makes the book enjoyable. ((Reviewed December 1, 1998))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1998, American Library Association.)