BONES AND THE SMILING MACKEREL

by Jean Caryl ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 21, 1964

Bones, who is actually more fat than skeleton, is sent off to Camp Creseudo with firm instructions to consolidate some of his excess poundage. The camp's curriculum emphasizes culture and character building so, along with swimming and tennis, Bones takes classes in guitar and trombone and is given the part of Bottom in his dramatics class. Bones and his old friend Whitey spend most of their free time cooking up pranks to play on their Junior Counselor Chester, who keeps smirking at himself in the mirror. Chester, an aspiring actor, turns out to be involved in a plot by a well-known straw hat circuit entrepreneur (nicknamed the Smiling Mackerel by Bones) to sabotage the camp, but the two are caught in the act of letting loose a bevy of rats by the 12-year-old boys. A good time is had by all at Camp Crescendo, even by Bones, who boasts a new slim trim figure at the end of the summer. Like Bones and the Black Panther, (1963, p. 109, J-43) this is a mild story with enough humor to appeal to the ten-year-old boys, especially those just back from their own camps.

Pub Date: Sept. 21, 1964

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: unk & Wagnalls

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1964

Categories: FICTION