Jason, the spunky Texas narrator of this boisterous first novel, is ecstatic when he learns that his parents plan to take him and his two sisters on vacation to Los Angeles. Not only will the sixth-grader be able to take his first airplane ride, but he might fulfill another dream: to appear on his favorite TV game show, Masquerade Mania. Since the producers select contestants on the basis of their "goofy costumes," Jason creates a papier-mâché dinosaur head to wear to the studio. Then his father announces that instead of flying, they will drive from Texas to California, camping along the way in a "Camp'otel," which Jason's best friend, who's along on the trip, likens to a "giant sardine tin." Worthy of that endured on Chevy Chase's clan's various big-screen vacations, the family calamity that follows will elicit ample giggles from youngsters ("I wanted to take a camping trip like this when I was your age, but I never got the opportunity," Mom says. "Then why give it to me?" Jason retorts). At the first campsite, Jason is so embarrassed by the camper that he wears his dinosaur head to the shower. Since his father forgets the camper's ladder at home, they must climb up the slippery car windshield—in a downpour—to access the sleeping quarters. And, washing the family's muddy clothes in a laundromat, Jason's domestically challenged mother turns everyone's underwear pink. This light, fun fiction marks a solid start for Roberts. Ages 8-12. (May)
