The Saturday Boy

Fifth grader Derek Lamb is having a hard time. His former best friend, Budgie, now bullies him; he suffers other humiliations at school; he has a lot of trouble focusing and making good decisions; his mother is extremely moody; and his beloved father is serving as an Apache-helicopter pilot in Afghanistan. Derek tries to make sense of his life, but often avoids reality by escaping into long periods of fantasy about superheroes and their various nemeses as well as about military missions with his father. Being chosen for a role in A Christmas Carol at school introduces Derek to a different, and supportive, group of kids and teachers. And even though Derek's dad is away, he is not absent. He and Derek write letters that Derek keeps in a lunch box to reread for comfort. Each letter contains a little bit of wisdom and love, which sustains Derek and provides a powerful emotional link. When Derek learns some devastating news, he garners comfort and strength from unlikely sources and expresses emotional insight that highlights his growth as a character. The only misstep in first-time novelist Fleming's rich story is occasional inconsistencies in Derek's colloquialisms ("fix his wagon," "frickin' epic") that sprinkle the first-person narration. However, children whose lives are similar to Derek's will identify with the confusion and isolation of war and find a comrade here. robin l. smith