I WAS A SECOND GRADE WEREWOLF

by Daniel Pinkwater ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 1983

A typical case of Pinkwater making little of what one could make overmuch. The non-adventure is kicked into gear with one word at the end of the deliberately bland opening: ""When I woke up in the morning, I saw that the back of my hands were covered with hair. I looked in the mirror. My face was hairy too. . . . I had long sharp teeth. . . . 'I have turned into a werewolf,' I said. 'Neat!'"" Trouble is, no one else notices the change. ""Lawrence, stop snarling at your sister,"" is his mother's only comment at breakfast. And when he bites classmate Loretta Parsnip's shoulder just to get attention, his teacher merely says ""Lawrence, behave yourself."" Later she interrupts the story she's reading aloud to ask ""Who is growling? Lawrence Talbot, are you growling? Stop that noise!"" And so it goes, with his friends at recess and his family at supper--until, ""That night I climbed out through the window and tan through the streets on all fours. I howled at the moon. I had a pretty good time."" Next morning, he's ""back to normal, Nobody had noticed anything. The next time I turn into a werewolf, it's going to be different."" Pinkwater's drawings match his deadpan delivery, and it's all so offhand you can only take it or leave it--which may suffice in itself after all those monsters bearing messages.

Pub Date: March 28, 1983

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Dutton

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1983

Categories: CHILDREN'S