As Brian Higman, alias the Big Hig, tells it, he’s due a detention, because he can’t turn in his English homework to “The General,” his fourth-grade teacher Miss Fromme. He tries to outmaneuver her using all legitimate ploys to sidetrack her, but in the effort of explaining why his homework isn’t done, he discovers his stories have riveted friends, school staff and the principal; even Miss Fromme is begging to hear more. Full of nuclear family hijinks, this first-person narrative multitasks as a great slice of life from a funny nine-year-old boy, encouragement for reluctant writers and instruction on how to write an interesting and satisfying story. Supporting an atmosphere for creative writing, DiSalvo developed fun-loving characters and a well-paced plot with her usual aplomb. (Fiction. 7-9)
