Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Crutcher fanatics rejoice! Your favorite characters are back. Mr. Nak from Ironman (1995) is holding Angry Management classes with other characters from the Crutcher archives. After a brief intro, each of the three stand-alone stories is preceded by Mr. Nak's file notes on the teen subjects. First up, Sarah Byrnes has a new fat guy: Angus Bethune from Athletic Shorts (1991). They hook up, discover the real reason Sarah's mom abandoned her, and find comfort in their own skin. Montana West (Sledding Hill, 2005) takes on her father and the school board over a censored school newspaper story that she wrote about medical marijuana. And, finally, Marcus James, Matt Miller, and Mr. Simet, from Whale Talk (2001) respond to a pink noose left on gay, African American Marcus' locker. The first novella, in which Crutcher's authorial voice intrudes the least, is the strongest. Teens comfortable with Crutcher's black-and-white take on controversial issues will delight in these stories, and with his best book cover yet, this may draw new fans to the fold.--Dobrez, Cindy Copyright 2009 Booklist