MARVIN REDPOST

Another problem suffered and solved by Sachar's hapless third-grader. Marvin picks up an undeserved reputation as a nose-picker, only perpetuated by his frantic denials. He loses his friends Nick and Stuart; his schoolwork suffers; and, in an ultimate indignity, his teacher buys the rumor and puts a comment about unsanitary habits on his report card. With the help of his little sister, Marvin finally concocts an effective defense: he surveys his classmates, teacher, and even the principal, asking if they have ever picked their noses, and his subsequent report to the class creates a sensation. Vintage Sachar—ingenious, funny, gross—and with a believable resolution. (Fiction. 7-9)