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INTERMEDIATE FICTION
Anderson, John David

The Greatest Kid in the World

368 pp. | HarperCollins/Walden Pond | May, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780062986030 $19.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780062986054 $11.99
(2) 4-6 Twelve-year-old Zeke Stahler learns that he is a finalist­ in the "Greatest Kid in the World" contest. Zeke is pretty sure it's a mistake--as are his sister, mother, and friends. Although he's whip smart and equipped with a great imagination, Zeke's penchant for outlandish pranks (think creating a zipline from his roof with a ladder, an extension cord, and a tennis racket) keeps him in constant trouble at home and school. But when he finds out that the contest's grand prize is ten thousand dollars, he thinks of his overworked mother trying to support their cash-strapped family, and of the air conditioner that isn’t working and the LEGO set his younger brother so desperately wants. Oh, and there's also an all-expense-paid trip to Hawaii thrown in for the contest winner. Zeke decides to go for it. Less about the outcome of the contest and more about Zeke's self-discovery, this novel raises a powerful question: what is the measure of an individual? Anderson (Riley's Ghost, rev. 1/22) subtly drops hints about the family's previously happy life and the situation of Zeke's now-absent father, asking readers to infer the circumstances. As advice comes from many characters, Zeke tries to decide what makes a great kid; readers may want to determine that for themselves.
Reviewer: Betty Carter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

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