Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever

After the consequences of eating an entire box of jelly doughnuts hit home, Viorst's iconic redheaded hero makes a big decision: "Starting this very minute," he tells his family, "I am being the best boy ever for the complete and entire rest of my life." In the week that follows, Saint Augustine has nothing on Alexander, who must refrain from bouncing his basketball indoors or dumping spaghetti on his brothers when they taunt him. What's more, he astutely observes, the world isn't exactly brimming with positive reinforcement: "Ms. Klimpt says I'm wearing her out and that she'll give me extra credit if only I would please stop raising my hand." Eventually, Alexander opts for the dark side, because, "the complete and entire rest of my life, I'm all of sudden thinking, is a long time." Working in the style of Ray Cruz, Mones falls a little short of his expressiveness and comic range, and Alexander looks almost prepubescent in many pages. But Viorst's Runyonesque ruminations on the nature of good and evil in a kid's world are as funny as ever. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

K-Gr 2--Another winner about mischievous Alexander, who this time is trying to be the Best Boy Ever after his latest disastrous escapade: eating a whole box of doughnuts. "Consequences" follow--he has to stay in his room all day on Saturday, with no electronics or TV, and he suffers a ferocious stomachache for his greediness. After an exhausting seven days of striving mightily to be the BBE (with varying results), he wakes up on Saturday, doubting that he can continue his angelic behavior forever and succumbs to another box of doughnuts. The illustrations follow original artist Roy Cruz's art perfectly, humorously portraying Alexander's struggles with his worst self. Viorst's text is right on target as usual, hilariously describing the boy's thoughts: "I'm thinking how much I love eating jelly doughnuts. And I'm thinking how much I hate having consequences. And I'm thinking I hate those consequences much, much, much, much more than I love doughnuts." On Sunday he thinks, "Everyone's still asleep, and I'm still walking around on tiptoes. But it's lonesome....And I'm thinking that if I went out the front door and rang the doorbell five, six, seven times, no one would be sleeping anymore." Kids will surely identify with Alexander's trials and tribulations--either in a group situation or at home with a long-suffering parent, who will probably get a kick out of the book, too!--Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA