CARTER’S BIG BREAK

Narrowly scraping through his freshman year, 14-year-old Will Carter is looking forward to swimming with his buddies and making out with his girlfriend, Abby. Following a disastrous movie date, Carter finds himself both single and signed onto a movie project with the hot tween starlet Hilary Idaho. High-strung producers, on-set conflicts and celebrity drama make for one memorable summer. Crawford brings the same manic voice and frantic pacing that marked this book’s predecessor, Carter Finally Gets It (2009). Will is no more mature than in the earlier work, and although the scenarios in which he finds himself require that readers make some serious investment in credulity, the humor is well intentioned and appealing. The gentle digs at the tween-entertainment juggernaut will resonate and may stimulate discussion. No literary blockbuster, this sophomore novel nevertheless propels Carter further along in reader fandom. (Fiction. 10-14)