The Pickle King

Gr 5—8—Not quite 12-year-old Bea lives in the remote, rather odd town of Elbow where each summer the rain is relentless. It creates mud, causes green mold to grow between people's toes, and forces kids who can't get away to someplace warm and sunny to join a school-sponsored Summer Club. This summer, however, Bea and her buddy Sam solve a murder mystery—the death of Herman, the Pickle King, whose face appears on every jar of pickle products made in the town. In the process, they develop unlikely friendships and uncover a nefarious plot. The Summer Club becomes the Raintown Convicts and very different personalities come together for an adventure that is by turns spooky (there are ghosts and mad scientists), gross (bags of intestines and huge rats, just for starters), and insightful (the kids deal with family problems, school, and friendships). The action of Rebecca Promitzer's tale (Chicken House, 2010) is revealed through Bea's narration, voiced by Laurence Bouvard who creates and sustains unique voices and distinct personalities for all the characters. While the reading is well-executed, it also highlights the novel's flaws. The convoluted plot stretches credibility, secondary characters are not well developed, and the writing sometimes impedes the flow. Long lists of what Bea observes bog down the action and slows its pace. Only the most dedicated are likely to stick with the story.—Maria Salvadore, formerly Washington DC Public Library