Cheesie Mack Is Cool in a Duel

Gr 3–6—Ronald "Cheesie" Mack is headed to Camp Windward with his best friend, Georgie. The trip begins with a disaster when Cheesie inadvertently hits his archenemy, Kevin, in the head with a spitball, and things continue downhill from there. At camp, because the director is Cheesie's Granpa, the 11-year-old is asked on a daily basis by two girls to break the rules. While this is going on, he and Kevin decide to face off in a winner-take-all Cool Duel. As Cheesie tries to figure out just what the girls are up to, he also has to impress his roommates in Cabin H, who are older boys, that he is the coolest one at camp. The story has charm and appeal and is filled with words (and their definitions) that will expand readers' vocabulary. Humorous illustrations appear throughout. Familiarity with Cheesie Mack Is Not a Genius or Anything (Random, 2011) does help readers understand past events, but this new installment can stand alone. With an uproariously funny and equally unexpected climax, the book should appeal to most anyone who picks it up. Cotler has created a website for Cheesie and welcomes submissions from readers.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX