FOURTH GRADE WIERDO

How a tightly wrapped fourth grader discovers that life doesn’t have to be completely predictable in order to be enjoyable makes for an entertaining and funny journey of self-discovery from Freeman (The Polyester Grandpa, 1998, etc.). Dexter’s well-ordered life receives a seismic jolt at the hands of Mr. Ditzwinkle, a teacher whose curriculum includes standing on his head and distributing jelly beans as part of math class. A nine-year-old who seems to be permanently attached to his “dweebacious” briefcase (even when trick-or-treating, dressed as a Secret Service agent), Dexter is a creature of habit, most comfortable in familiar surroundings and following a highly structured routine—and all that is about to change. Freeman’s prose is spare but witty; few class weirdos have made the transition to hero so well, and readers will cheer as Dexter transforms himself into a colorful character, with plenty of new friends along the way. (Fiction. 8-12)