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BRADLEY AND THE BILLBOARD by Mame Farrell

BRADLEY AND THE BILLBOARD

By

Pub Date: April 22nd, 1998
Publisher: "Farrar, Straus & Giroux"

In a fast-moving tale, Farrell (Marrying Malcolm Murgatroyd, 1995, etc.) presents a look at the stereotypes of models, fame, and vanity; refreshingly, the perspective is a boy's. Down-to-earth sixth-grader Bradley never thought much about his looks until a publicist from the town's largest department store encourages him to model for the sales circular. At first Bradley is reluctant: What will his baseball buddies think, especially obnoxious Skeff Parker, who already makes cracks about Bradley's masculinity? When he finds out about the dollar signs attached, Bradley forgets his fears, and decides that he can contribute to the family income as a ""man."" The store puts Bradley's face on the billboard right over the ball field, and he is prepared neither for the fame nor the humbling that follows. The story has solid sentiments on what it means to be a man, a comforting old-fashioned quality, plus some strong role models in Bradley's family of females and in his crush, Jessie. The glimpses into the modeling world--e.g., Bradley's first inseam measurement and his first shoot--further buttress the humor in this entertaining read.