The Puppet Wrangler

August 1, 2004
Gr 6-8-After her wild, outrageous older sister steals a school bus, dependable, quiet Telly is sent to Toronto to stay with her Aunt Kathleen. Although her aunt produces a television show for children, she has no experience with kids, and often seems to forget that her 12-year-old niece even exists. But then Telly discovers that Bitsie, one of the puppets on the show, is actually alive. Not only is he alive, but he is as funny, irreverent, manipulative, and uncontrollable as the girl's sister. Suddenly, Telly finds herself caught up in a series of crazy escapades, ending with her and Bitsie being trapped in the house of a desperate puppeteer. Narrated by Telly, this is a fresh and unpredictable modern fantasy. The writing is lively, funny, and littered with footnotes that will either amuse or irritate readers. While the premise is far-fetched, with many incredible twists from beginning to end, the author manages to make it convincing through the voice of her protagonist. She even includes a subtle message about the dangers of advertising, since a lot of Telly's problems stem from Bitsie's gullibility and fascination with everything he sees on TV. The secondary characters are fairly one-dimensional and serve largely to advance the plot. Still, this is a quirky and engaging adventure story.-Ashley Larsen, Woodside Library, CA

Copyright 2004 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.