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Overview
In sixth grade now, the wildly imaginative Rex Zero and his friends hatch a plan to replace Miss Garr, the substitute teacher from hell, and Rex takes on the persona of none other than “Dr. Love.” Of course, events spin hilariously out of control. Miss Garr’s cruel behavior is a mystery to Rex. But then, Rex’s world is full of mysteries! There’s the beautiful woman in white. Why does she have a black eye? There’s the little black book filled with names. Who could it belong to? And why has Rex’s father hidden a letter that begins: “Mein Liebchen”? Could all these things have something to do with the mystery of love? Underneath all of this is the age-old question of how to stand up and be a man. For if, as Rex’s dad says, “a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do,” how does Rex know what to do and when to do it?
Delightfully eccentric characters, humorous scenes of well-intended plans gone awry, a finely crafted plot interwoven with serious themes about love and war—this new Rex Zero is a gem!
Editorials
From the Publisher
* “That smart and funny sixth grader introduced in Rex Zero and the End of the World is back. . . . 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.” —School Library Journal, starred review* “Wynne-Jones brilliantly plays Rex’s comfortable childhood world against the adult one Rex is just beginning to discern; the elegantly simple child-logic he applies to the latter yields both catastrophic and heroic results. . . . Well worth the ride.” —The Horn Book, starred review
* “Set in Ottawa in 1962, the story offers well-crafted, eccentric characters, laugh-out-loud humor, and a generous dose of 1960s culture. . . . Fans and preteens contemplating that long bridge to adulthood will be charmed.” —Booklist, starred review
“These seemingly uncorrupted characters are well aware of darkness. None of it touches their heroic childlike determination.” —Kirkus Reviews
“There are some laugh out loud moments. Descriptions are often memorable or lyrical as when Mother says things that happened during the war are ‘like stones on your father’s heart.’ Thoroughly enjoyable tale of Ottawa in the sixties and some neat kids.” —Sue Carita, The Toadstool Bookshop
“Once again, Wynne-Jones handily balances the humorous quirkiness of his hero with truly troublesome undercurrents of adult concerns that disturb his peace.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
“Rex’s fans . . . will be charmed.” —Book Links
School Library Journal
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.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME