No More Pranks

KLIATT

Another offering in a series for reluctant YA readers from Orca, this one features humor and action—and whales! Pete, the narrator, small for his age, manages a horrific (and funny) prank at school and ends up in big trouble. His punishment is to spend his summer vacation working for his Uncle Jean, six hours north of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. His uncle has a small business taking tourists and whale watchers out on the river. The bad guys are those who use motor boats to take tourists out, getting too close to the whales, frightening them and polluting the water and air with gas fumes. Pete uses his wit and ability to set up outrageous pranks to nail the perpetrators, with the help of his new friend Rosalie. This will have wide appeal. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2004, Orca Soundings, 100p., Ages 12 to 18.
—Claire Rosser

VOYA

The Canadian-based Orca Soundings series fulfills the wishes of countless librarians and teachers by providing well-written, relevant stories geared toward lower level readers. These slender books are an easy sell with their colorful, teen-savvy covers and edgy titles. A broad range of topics and viewpoints allow readers plenty of choices for individual reading preferences, as demonstrated by four recent additions. No More Pranks relates the story of mischievous Pete, who has just been suspended from school for calling a sex talk show and pretending to be one of his teachers. His punishment is to spend the summer living with his Uncle Jean, who runs a kayaking company in Tadoussac on the St. Lawrence River. The French Canadian wilderness is an especially satisfying setting for Pete's subsequent misadventures, culminating in a prank that might catch some bad guys-or get Pete killed. Lots of action here, combined with nice insights on the clash between tourism and the preservation of natural environments. There are eighteen previous books in the series. Most are suitable for middle school through high school readers. There are many reasons why teens find themselves uninterested in reading, but these books are great tools for luring them back. VOYA CODES: 4Q 3P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Will appeal with pushing; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12). 2004, Orca, 100p., Trade pb. Ages 11 to 18.
—Diane Emge

Canadian Book Review Annual

"Polak develops Pete's character in a believable and satisfactory way. Her writing communicates her knowledge of the setting and her research on whales. Recommended."

CM Magazine

"[Polak] has captured the teenage mind while still making her point. A good read. Highly recommended."