The Wrecker

As much a parody of school life as a tale of vengeance, this brains-vs.-brawn contest stars Theo Vee, eighth grade genius/inventor extraordinaire and his reluctant sidekick, Michael. A newcomer to the Sherman School, Michael is more unsettled than flattered when Theo, the creator of dancing boxes, talking wheels and mechanical spiders, chooses him as an ally when dreaming up a plot to utterly ``wreck'' the class bully. From the very beginning, it is obvious that the bully's days are numbered, but few will be able to guess the means and result of his destruction. As extravagant caricatures of classic types, the teachers at Sherman School-jelly-spined Mr. Shoe; Mrs. Gasperwit, who ``just lived for the theater''; Mrs. Stencil, the art teacher-add color to the comic suspense. Although the story's pace is periodically disrupted by vignettes about minor characters, Skinner (You Must Kill a Whale) delivers enough action and guffaws to keep the pages turning. Ages 12-up. (July)