The All New Jonah Twist

The author of Invisible Lissa delivers another winner, a story about two extremely likable boys. Jonah Twist's ambition is to succeed as a third-grader, to be responsible so his mother will admire him, as she does his super-achiever older brother, Todd. But Granville Jones, a new kid at school, dims Jonah's hopes on the first day. Granville is tiny but tough; he grabs the seat next to Jonah and sticks like a burr. On the way home from school, the menace leaps from behind bushes and trees, scaring and enraging Jonah. Eventually, the boys' teacher sets up a private chat with Jonah and convinces him that Granville's pestering means he wants a friend. This is true; the young antagonists do become good friends. Honeycutt's novel is full of delightful surprises and enhanced by deft characterizations of adults as well as the children in her large cast. (8-10)