Say It Ain't So

On Wednesday, as the rains poured down, I read, almost in one sitting, Josh Berk's book Say It Ain't So.   The book starts with a very disturbing holiday scene in the Norbeck household.  I can say no more, because that disturbing scene is very important to later developments in the book.  Just know this.  From a middle schooler's point of view, this new holiday tradition would be very disturbing, although harmless, I guess.

Once the kids are back in school, Lenny and his friends, Mike and Other Mike, are soon back in their element of talking about baseball, or playing video games while friends are talking baseball.  There's a new hitch, though.  Mike is not just talking, he's practicing baseball - all because of what happened in the first book about this trio.  Mike wants to play again.  Yes.  AND, he wants to play catcher.

So Lenny is a good friend and helps Mike prepare by doing what Lenny does best, throwing wild pitches.

OK.  That's the set up.  But this is a Josh Berk book, so there is also a mystery.  Who framed the middle school catcher as a thief, making Mike the starting catcher?  How can we get that obnoxious pitcher to SHUT UP?  And, if I die from laughing, is Josh Berk to blame? 

This book made me laugh out loud and I actually had to stop reading to catch my breath.  I hope Josh  writes a whole bunch more of these books.