SIR JOHN HARGRAVE’S MISCHIEF MAKER’S MANUEL

Making a brave attempt to erect an ethical framework for ambitious pranksters, Web gagmeister Hargrave (Prank the Monkey, 2007, for adults) layers common-sense principles (“A good prank is easily cleaned up, taken down, or thrown away. This makes it harder for anyone to press charges”) with instructions for several classic gags, plus suggestions for easily available devices and materials to add to the prankster’s toolkit. Sometimes ignoring his own advice about safety, the author arranges projects in order of complexity from basic dribble glasses and telephone hijinks to, in later chapters, making exploding cigarettes or the world’s largest butt photo. Enhanced by lots of simple diagrams (as well as a helpful associated website) and packaged with an alternate sleeve to disguise the cover plus eight foldout recipes for such delicacies as fake vomit and tuna cookies, this compact vade mecum will thrill armchair jokers and may be taken to heart by a few of the active sort too. (Nonfiction. 10-13)