Beware the Fish! (Macdonald Hall Series). Gordon Korman. Markham, ON: Scholastic Canada, 1980/2003. 176 pp., pbk., $6.99. ISBN 0-439-96901-8. Subject Headings: Boarding schools-Juvenile fiction. Problem solving-Juvenile fiction. Grades 4-7 / Ages 9-12. Review by Ann Ketcheson. **** /4

excerpt:

In the darkness of room 306, Bruno Walton's face took on a look of grim determination. "That does it!" he exclaimed. "They're starving us, they're forcing us out of our dorm, and now they're selling our school right out from under us! We won't let this happen!"

Boots, who had long ago learned to recognize the beginning of one of Bruno's crusades, felt a twinge of uneasiness. "This is all management and high finance," he protested. "It's even above The Fish. What can we do about it?"

"Well, I know what we can't do," replied Bruno. "We can't just sit back and let the Hall go down the drain! And that's exactly why the Macdonald Hall Preservation Society is meeting tomorrow at lunch!"

Imagine that the equipment at your school is outdated, the meals have been cut to a minimum, and one dormitory has been closed!! What to do??

     The students at Macdonald Hall Boots, Bruno, Elmer, Wilbur or Sidney to name a few are determined to take action to save their school. They suggest setting some sort of world record to make the school famous. Or perhaps they could discover a scientific breakthrough to put Macdonald Hall on the map. At the very least, they plan to drive away the developer who wants to tear down Macdonald Hall and build condos!

     Korman uses the interesting setting of a boys' school and a cast of crazy characters to weave this hilarious story. As the boys plot to save their school, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and the local media all get involved. Readers follow the boys through a series of convoluted plans and zany, unbelievable adventures laughing all the way! The offbeat students and staff make the reader feel truly a part of the Macdonald Hall community.

     This is a great, fun novel with lots of interesting escapades to keep readers engaged and entertained throughout. Although first published in 1980, Gordon Korman's Beware the Fish! is fresh and funny nearly 25 years later.

Highly Recommended.

Ann Ketcheson is a former teacher of high school English and French and currently is the teacher librarian at Peterborough Collegiate in Peterborough, ON.

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