BILLY THE FISH

Ned Finn’s younger brother Bill is smart as a whip, but he is always getting into trouble. This time, Bill decides to sample their father’s new fish food, and lo and behold, he turns into a rather unappealing cod with a curl in the middle of his forehead. Naturally, this leads to all sorts of complications, and it’s up to Ned to set things straight. Protecting his scaled-and-tailed sibling, wearing a pink shirt to promote the family business and relinquishing his messy but beloved bedroom to his fashion-obsessed sister are only the beginning. Ultimately, Ned must fend off the school bully, trick an international fish-food spy, give a bookie his just deserts and compete in the Interschool Quiz Championship, all with help from a certain talking cod. Readers will laugh and cheer for Ned as he defeats evildoers and survives to win a PlayStation and a plasma screen TV. Retro, cartoon-like illustrations add a humorous touch to the fun-filled story. A light and entertaining offering and a nice choice for reluctant readers. (Fiction. 8-10)