ORWELL'S LUCK

by Richard Jennings ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A quirky tale featuring an injured wild rabbit with unusual abilities and the anonymous young narrator who nurses him back to health. After Orwell is found lying in the yard, an apparent traffic victim unable to move his back legs, the newspaper's daily horoscopes begin taking on a peculiar resonance for the seventh-grader who discovers him. Interspersed with suggestive but typical apothegms ("Things only seem possible before they happen"), lines such as "Study school books tonight. Pop quiz tomorrow," or "Why not take you-know-who for a walk?" seem to be direct messages from—somewhere. Furthermore, Scrabble and other game scores soar when Orwell is in the room. Against a backdrop of domestic ups and downs, the narrator ruminates on the meaning of it all, carries Orwell from vet to vet, and makes a connection with a classmate, known only as "the tousle-haired boy." By the end, Orwell is on the road to recovery, walking about upright with a comical clown-like gait, and his effect on Scrabble tiles has been turned into a science project that brings unexpected results. Bunnicula fans will enjoy making the acquaintance of another bunny who might, just might, be more than he seems, and that touch of mystery gives this appealing, if wordy, episode a dash of piquancy. (Fiction. 10-13)

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 0618693351

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2000

Categories: CHILDREN'S