Old-Fashioned, But Fun

Who Ran My Underwear Up the Flagpole? by Jerry Spinelli

Elementary Humor

If you are above the age of 8 or 9, you probably won't like this book.  It is part of the School Daze series.  I'm not sure which one in the series and I don't think it matters.  The plot wasn't complicated enough to worry about.

There are four main characters who are best friends:  Sunny, Salem, Eddie, and Pickles.  Everyone is reacting to the new school year differently.  Sunny has become a cheerleader and promptly gets in a fight with a fan who isn't peppy enough.  Salem has become the football team's manager and institutes snack time and counseling sessions.  Eddie is trying to overcome the embarrassment of having his Superman underwear run up the flagpole by getting a reputation as a mean, tough football player.  Pickles is, well, just Pickles.  There also seems to be strange love square going on.  Eddie likes Sunny.  Salem likes Eddie.  Sunny might like Pickles.  Pickles, well, he's just Pickles.

This book was such a throwback to a simpler time, before text messaging and technology--a time when kids played outside, played with one another, actually conversed!  It had a nice old-fashioned feel to it.  But, it wasn't too old-fashioned.  The topics and characters are still relevant to today's youth-crushes, troubles with friends, unrequited crushes, bullying at school, not being the best at sports and that age-old dilemma:  When is one too old to trick-or-treat?