I Don't Believe It, Archie!

Gr 4–6—Each of seven chapters follows one day in young Archie's week, beginning with the boy on an errand or out with his friend Cyd. Every day ends with the errand or outing incomplete and his mother declaring, "Honestly, I don't believe it, Archie." What his mother doesn't believe is the series of odd events that derail her son's plans, from confronting a leopard to foiling the kidnapping of a stranger who turns out to be Archie's wealthy look-alike, also named Archie. The events are not a plot but a series of unrelated mishaps and misunderstandings, undermining the book's appealing premise. In Sunday's climax, four characters from previous days reappear at preposterously convenient moments, straining credibility even in a book meant to be humorous. British terms (lorry, trainers, jumper) are sprinkled throughout, but the setting could be any suburban town. Characterization is completely absent. Archie remains unaffected by the strange things that always seem to happen around him. Cyd, introduced in chapter one, is limited to being a witness to clear Archie's name at the end of each mix-up. Black-and-white illustrations are plentiful but appear to be drawn by a middle-school-aged child, conflicting with the third-person narration. Archie might provide readers with a few chuckles, but little else. A better choice for funny, improbable-adventure fiction is Mary Amato's "Riot Brothers" series (Holiday House).—M. Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY