SAVING THE PLANET AND STUFF

A teenaged underachiever comes into his own while getting an eye-opening look at office politics in this sidesplitter. Having lost one summer job (“I WASN’T FIRED!!! The job ended. That’s entirely different”), Michael jumps at the opportunity to be gofer at an environmentalist magazine published by committed back-to-the-Earthers Walt and Nora. The Earth’s Wife turns out to have a small but frothy staff that includes Amber, an intimidating but feasible prospect for summer romance, and Todd, a slimy new Managing Editor intent on changing the magazine’s orientation from Eco-Issues to glossy Styles and Profiles. Displaying both glib irreverence and a wonderful ability to irritate his elders, Michael not only manages to hold his own, but discovers that everyone has dirty little secrets—even Nora (plays golf) and Walt (is a closet carnivore); he also gives Nora a fresh shot of idealism when it matters most, and trumps all of his online buddies’ summer experiences by helping to break a major industrial scandal. Memorable, hilarious, and featuring a likable, unlikely hero. (Fiction. 11-13)