The Accidental Genius of Weasel High

February 7, 2011
The problem with Detorie's strip One Big Happy has long been a hard one to overcome: it's just not that funny. This issue is handily dealt with in his refreshingly vivid and approachable YA illustrated novel, which strives for only the occasional chuckle and is more interested in telling the story of one very driven 14-year-old. Larkin Pace and his classmates must keep a weekly "notebook blog," the results compiled in Detorie's book, where Larkin rags on his parents, obsesses over his best friend Brooke (who he'd now like as a girlfriend), binges on film quotes (his dad is a film studies professor), and divulges his complicated scheme for becoming a Hollywood impresario by age 16. Detorie's sketchy illustrations punctuate a story told with an easy, self-deprecating humor steeped in adolescent modernity without overdoing the slang and up-to-the-minute references. While many of Larkin's nemeses are standard issue (annoying sister, omnipresent bully), his voice manages to be good-natured and assured without the addition of arrogance. Ages 12–up. (Apr.)
Board and concept books to nurture an early love of reading.

May 1, 2011

Gr 5 Up-Meet Larkin Pace. He hates his name. He doesn't get along with his sister. His friend Freddie is really weird. He has a crush on his friend Brooke. Schoolyard bully Dalton Cooke is his nemesis. When he grows up, he wants to be a filmmaker. By his own definition, Larkin's unique ability to memorize every line in every movie he's ever seen makes him an "accidental genius." The book is divided into several mini-chapters, as though Larkin were keeping a journal for a class. Spaced throughout these entries are amusing and sometimes poignant comic strips that illustrate the boy's often-painful adolescence. Of note is Larkin's unreciprocated crush on Brooke and his burgeoning friendship with an elderly neighbor for whom he does chores, charming retired actress Miss Sadie. Larkin serves as a relatable "everykid," and many readers will enjoy spending some time with him. Marketed as "a book for the Wimpy Kid who has grown up," it will nevertheless appeal both to tweens and young adults.-Ryan Donovan, New York Public Library

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