Rex Zero, King of Nothing by Tim Wynne-Jones
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Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME -- School Library Journal, 5/14/2008
From SLJ May 2008
WYNNE-JONES, Tim. Rex Zero, King of Nothing. 217p. CIP. Farrar/Melanie Kroupa Bks. 2008. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-374-36259-1. LC 2007008181.
Gr 5-8–That smart and funny sixth grader introduced in Rex Zero and the End of the World (Farrar, 2007) is back. The book is set in 1962 in Ottawa, where Rex lives with his quirky family and his scheming pals. Wynne-Jones perfectly and poignantly captures Rex’s confusion with life and grown-ups, from his thinking that Armistice Day is "Our Mistress Day" to his struggle to understand his dad’s zany humor. The boy wrestles with several mysteries. He can’t understand why his teacher, Miss Garr, is so mean, and why his sad father keeps old photos and letters written in German. The biggest mystery presents itself, however, when Rex finds an address book that leads him to a beautiful woman whom he feels compelled to rescue from an abusive relationship. While laugh-out-loud funny in places (especially when Rex and his friends find a way to thwart the miserable Miss Garr), the book also deals with more difficult topics, especially with wartime experiences that weigh on Dad’s heart. It will not matter that the 1960s references, especially to television shows, may not be familiar to young readers; Rex’s first-person narration will ring true. He learns the ultimate coming-of-age lesson: life is not neat and tidy but rather messy and human. While it is not necessary to have read the first book to enjoy this one, children will no doubt want to read it after and will look forward to more adventures.
