Poser

Twelve-year-old Luke “Spin” Spinelli has been a model since before he could crawl. He knows the drill like the back of his hand, but he hates modeling, keeps it secret from all of his friends, and dreams of playing hockey. However, being a “semiprofessional boy model” is the primary source of income for Spin, his mother, and his colorful aunt/agent Macy, who lives with them and has big plans for Spin’s modeling future. Moreover, Spin lives in fear that his classmates will find out about his secret life. He’s desperate to quit, but one of the many lies he tells to cover his tracks takes on a life of its own. The plot in this charming first novel has its share of emotional highs and lows, but Spin’s chatty narrative voice (“Okay, get up. Put the book down for a minute. If I gotta do this, so do you,” he says as he’s asked to fake skateboarding tricks for the camera) will pull readers into his tale of woe and keep them laughing. Ages 9–12. (Apr.)