Wow! eBook
Political Timber
Author(s): Chris Lynch (Author), Bruce Eagle (Illustrator)
- Publisher: HarperCollins
- Publication Date: October 17, 1996
- Edition: First Edition
- Language: English
- Print length: 176 pages
- ISBN-10: 0060273607
- ISBN-13: 9780060273606
Book Description
High school senior Gordon Foley runs for mayor at the behest of his grandfather, an old-style politician scheming to regain power while he’s in prison for fraud
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 9 Up. When Gordon Foley receives the use of his grandfather’s Studebaker Gran Tourismo Hawk for his 18th birthday, senior year looks especially promising. An internship at a local radio station earns him two days away from school each week, and his girlfriend, Sweaty Betty, seems more affectionate in the Hawk?how could life possibly be better? The car, however, comes with a price tag. Gordon must run for mayor, the office most recently held by his now-incarcerated grandfather, who was unaware of the law forbidding anyone with a criminal record to be mayor. With “Da” and his goons doing all of the campaign work, Gordie figures, how hard could it be to run for mayor? Very, when the radio station declares open season on him during call-in shows, the school newspaper capitalizes on every unwise (and often profane) word he utters, and campaigning begins to take more time than just his two free days. But Gordie’s personal gains are far greater than any intellectual familiarity with the political process he acquires, as he emerges slightly more mature and genuine with a new appreciation for his relationships. His losses, however, include Da, who, unable to admit his own failure, mistakes Gordie’s honesty for betrayal. In a disappointing confrontation, Da’s behavior toward his grandson seems unusually shallow and harsh even for a stereotypical hack politician. While this wise-cracking novel is not a prime example of Lynch’s literary timber, it is a humorous, lightweight, and totally irreverent look at “senioritis.”?Kelly Diller, Humboldt High School, IA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 7^-10. When beloved old Mayor Foley lands in prison on counts of “racketeering junk and all that,” who is better able to carry on his tradition and name than grandson Gordie, an 18-year-old high-school senior? The old man sets Gordie up for the mayoral campaign, lending advice via his cell phone and outfitting him in style with his signature automobile, a splendid 1963 Studebaker Gran Tourismo Hawk. Can this be for real? Gordie wonders. Our hapless teen candidate soon finds himself the unwitting victim of the voracious school press, a calculating radio talk show host, spurious handlers, his fey girlfriend “Sweaty Betty,” and the city’s political machine. The outrageous story line works delightfully as a punchy, timely satire of the political scene, complete with some off-color language. Lynch’s dialogue and humor capture the high-school milieu, and Gordie’s moving coming-to-terms with his grandfather at the end adds a nice closing touch to a fun read. Anne O’Malley
