The Size of the Truth

Sam Abernathy’s parents have just skipped him from sixth to eighth grade, the first step, they say, in getting him into MIT. This puts him in the same grade as James Jenkins, the boy he blames for the three days he spent trapped in a well when he was four years old, an event that has defined his life in Blue Creek, Tex. Sam is not interested in MIT, and dislikes survival camping with his enthusiastic father; what he wants most is to leave his small town and become a chef, a goal he pursues secretly to avoid disappointing his parents. Smith (Winger) makes his middle grade debut in this aggressively quirky story that feels overstuffed with cleverly written plot details (mini golf, armadillos, bank robbers, gospel music, aliens) that compete with as often as complement each other. Passages detailing Sam’s time in the well offer uncertain connection to the rest of the story and raise more questions than they answer. The well-developed elements shine—as in Smith’s YA novels, repeating jokes become funnier over time—but the book fails to coalesce even as it succeeds in over-the-top entertainment. Ages 8–12. (Mar.)