MAURICE'S ROOM

Maurice's room was bigger than Fibber McGee's closet and he himself had no trouble navigating his way around it nor did his friend Jacob. Maurice liked things, and it takes a major portion of the text just to catalogue Maurice's remarkable junk collection. He was especially fortunate to have a janitor, Mr. Klenk, who knew what to save for him. There were those who tried to intrude on Maurice's avocation. ""Get everything off the floor,"" said his mother. Maurice, Jacob and Mr. Klenk hung it all up on the walls and ceiling. Maurice's uncle thought the boy needed a dog and loaned him his dog Patsy. ""Patsy was a large soft dog with beady eyes"" and Maurice knew he wouldn't be able to trust her around his room. He couldn't. At her worst she pushed down the barricade Maurice had built in front of his door and sent the full-sized stuffed bear on roller skates (Maurice had disguised it in his Halloween penguin costume) flying. That's the closest element to slapstick; otherwise the descriptions are very straightforward, very easy to read, and very funny. Eight year old boys will be able to make a place for it-- under their beds, or wherever it is they keep their favorite books.