Newton and the Giant. Michael McGowan. Toronto, ON: HarperCollins, 2003. 202 pp., pbk., $15.99. ISBN 0-00-639257-1. Grades 4-6 / Ages 9-11. Review by Harriet Zaidman. **1/2 /4 Reviewed from advance reading copy.

excerpt:

Newton had barely pulled up the rope to the attic and put the cover over the opening (fortunately located in his bedroom) when he heard his mother's instructions "You children behave" and then the awful thud of the front door shutting. His parents wouldn't be home until eight, and Newton would have to remain hidden for two hours if he had any hope of staying alive. The moment his brothers found him, without adult supervision, who knows what they would do.

Newton Wiggins knows that he is doomed. He is not athletic; worse, he hates sports, and his parents and older quadruplet brothers have filled an entire room with trophies, medals and ribbons. His science fair prizes and incredible inventions don't get a moment's notice. When Newton scores on his own net, losing the soccer game and giving Coach Henley a heart attack, Newton becomes the embarrassment of the family and the target of his big brothers' revenge as his parents announce they are going salsa dancing after supper.

     He races to the attic with the quadruplets hot on his heels. As the quads advance, Newton makes a desperate dash for a newly discovered small door that seems to yank him in. Saved from his brothers, Newton now embarks on an adventure into a weird world of giants who live in trees. The Kingdom of Merriwart is unusual, to say the least: giants carrying their heads under their arms, giants with giant halitosis, shredded and stained formal clothes are considered normal. Licking toes is an envied part of the marriage ceremony, but, despite these idiosyncrasies, the Merriwarts are peaceful and tree loving. They are unwitting targets of the Liveds, uncouth, cold blooded giants whose underground lair has been heated by burning wood in massive furnaces. The Liveds have used up all their forests and are plotting a take over of Merriwart through the marriage of one of their princes to Princess Gertrude. Newton uncovers the plot but returns home to enlist the assistance of his friend Max. Newton, Max and a talking G.I. Joe action figure set out to rescue Merriwarts. Max gets cold feet even before they enter the magic portal on the baseball diamond (home plate right in front of his parents and brothers!), and G.I. Joe is lost in the ensuing adventure. Newton carries on, knowing that he must get proof to convince the trusting Merriwart giants. His stellar broad knowledge of science and literature and his quick wits allow him to figure out codes and solve problems. A set of wings that he invented and built carries him on his dangerous mission to prove to the simple minded and trusting Merriwarts that they are about to become enslaved. Along the way, he meets a wizard giant, almost overdoses on bewitched food and is nearly caught and eaten by the Liveds. His trusty Polaroid camera records the proof he needs (along with pictures of some very interesting rocks), and the Merriwart kingdom thwarts the attempted invasion.

     All turns out well. The giants celebrate with a giant wedding, and G.I. Joe returns (with a love interest) to help in the final battle. Newton decides that he must go back home and face his mean older brothers. His original plan had been to use Herbert, his giant friend, to intimidate the quads, but this experience has given Newton the confidence he needs to stand up to them. And Max seeks him out to repair their relationship.

     This is the first novel for Michael McGowan, who has written for magazines and for television, including an adaptation of Mordechai Richler's Jacob Two Two. The plot of Newton and the Giant has many incredibly silly twists and lots of gross body humour. It should appeal to the goofy sense of humour of pre adolescent children, especially boys, who will find it fun to read a 200 page novel. The few line drawings that intersperse the pages could be even more exaggerated, but they provide humorous relief from the text.

Recommended.

Harriet Zaidman is a teacher librarian in Winnipeg, MB.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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