Hooked

September 15, 2007
Woodylives in a small house on the water in Biscayne Bay, Florida, and works at a yacht club in Miami. He is surrounded by some of the richest people in the world, but his most fervent dream is to sail his own boat around the globe.Life is simple and good untilWoody isthunderstruck bythe new waitress, Madalina. She is way out of his league, and he is way too tongue-tied to make a good impression. In an unusual stroke of luck, he reels in a talking tuna. In return for his freedom, the tuna grants Woody his wish: to fix his truck and take Madalina for a sail. When Woody spills the beans about the fish, Madalina asks him to make another wish. The tale continues as Woody repeatedly asks for bigger and better things, and Madalina teases him, then withholds her favors. Things start to spiral out of control while hilarity ensues. Mays modern-day version of the classic Grimm brothers tale The Fisherman and His Wife is a real treat.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)