Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
When a teenage boy's widowed mom gets a job as a stripper, it makes for some tricky social maneuvering in this coming-of-age story from the wonderfully witty Ron Koertge."Anyway," Sully said, "I've got just what you need to take your mind off your troubles."
"Thirty pounds of chocolate decadence?"
"A girl."
"I don't need a girl."
"You do. Now more than ever."
"And what would I tell her my mother did for a living?"
"Lie."
Life has not been easy lately for sixteen-year-old Walker. His father has died, his girlfriend has moved away, and the family finances are in a shambles. Finally it seems as if things are looking up: Walker has a date with Rachel, the beautiful new girl in his class, and his mother has announced she's gotten a job. Only not your average, run-of-the-mill mom's job. Walker's mother is going to work as a stripper. What if his friends find out? What if Rachel finds out? Coincidentally, Walker's dad has left him a piece of land on which Rachel's father is scheming to build a mall, and after seeing the land, Walker goes about the hard work of farming it - and the hard work of being in love for the first time. Propelled by Ron Koertge's rapid-fire repartee, this is the funny and touching tale of a winningly honest protagonist discovering the perils and rewards of family, friendship, and romance.
A high school junior who is having trouble with his father's death, his mother's new job as a stripper, and his own libido meets a new girl who, despite their ups and downs, makes life seem pretty wonderful after all.
Synopsis
When a teenage boy's widowed mom gets a job as a stripper, it makes for some tricky social maneuvering in this coming-of-age story from the wonderfully witty Ron Koertge.
"Anyway," Sully said, "I've got just what you need to take your mind off your troubles."
"Thirty pounds of chocolate decadence?"
"A girl."
"I don't need a girl."
"You do. Now more than ever."
"And what would I tell her my mother did for a living?"
"Lie."
Life has not been easy lately for sixteen-year-old Walker. His father has died, his girlfriend has moved away, and the family finances are in a shambles. Finally it seems as if things are looking up: Walker has a date with Rachel, the beautiful new girl in his class, and his mother has announced she's gotten a job. Only not your average, run-of-the-mill mom's job. Walker's mother is going to work as a stripper. What if his friends find out? What if Rachel finds out? Coincidentally, Walker's dad has left him a piece of land on which Rachel's father is scheming to build a mall, and after seeing the land, Walker goes about the hard work of farming it - and the hard work of being in love for the first time. Propelled by Ron Koertge's rapid-fire repartee, this is the funny and touching tale of a winningly honest protagonist discovering the perils and rewards of family, friendship, and romance.
Publishers Weekly
Walker's dad is dead, his girlfriend has moved away, and he's gained weight. In other words, this is not the time for him to find out his mother has taken a job as a stripper at a nightclub. Then he meets Rachel, whose father wants to build a new mall in the area. Coincidentally, Walker's father left him a piece of land on which the mall is to be built. After farming the land, Walker decides not to sell and gets up the courage to tell Rachel about his mother. She's known all along and doesn't care. It adds up to a lot of male adolescent angst wrapped not-too-discreetly around a thin plot. Walker has some capacity for humor regarding his plights, but it doesn't sustain this one. (14-up)
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Walker's dad is dead, his girlfriend has moved away, and he's gained weight. In other words, this is not the time for him to find out his mother has taken a job as a stripper at a nightclub. Then he meets Rachel, whose father wants to build a new mall in the area. Coincidentally, Walker's father left him a piece of land on which the mall is to be built. After farming the land, Walker decides not to sell and gets up the courage to tell Rachel about his mother. She's known all along and doesn't care. It adds up to a lot of male adolescent angst wrapped not-too-discreetly around a thin plot. Walker has some capacity for humor regarding his plights, but it doesn't sustain this one. (14-up)Children's Literature
No one can argue with the fact that the teenage years are tough. But sixteen-year-old Walker has it tougher than most. Not only does he have to contend with raging hormones, but his father just died and his girlfriend moved away. To drown his sorrows, Walker turns to food, and those extra pounds are beginning to show. But that is not the worst of it; he family's finances are a mess and to help make ends meet, Walker's mother takes a new job—as a stripper. Walker is mortified. What if the guys at school find out? How will he ever live it down? With a supporting cast that includes Walker's confused best friend, Sully; high school dropout, Peggy; and Walker's new girlfriend, Rachel, this is a fun, male-teenager angst story. Sully and Walker's discussions and wisecracks about sex and masturbation are hilarious. Because it contains frank language about male body parts and masturbation, and sexual situations up to and including intercourse, this story is appropriate for and will appeal primarily to the older high school student. 2005 (orig. 1986), Candlewick Press, Ages 16 up.—Pat Trattles