The Wednesdays

Gr 4–6—Life is good in Max's quiet village, unless it's Wednesday. On that day of the week, if something can go wrong, it will. Cats are mysteriously vacuumed up and birthday cakes become giant conflagrations. Even the birds have exceptional accuracy, and Max V. Bernard, who is not scared of Wednesdays a bit, wants to know why. When he discovers the cause of all of the mischief, however, his friends and family soon find that every day is strange when he is around. Will parapsychologist Dr. Conkle-Smoak's increasingly peculiar theories actually produce results? Max's humanity itself may depend upon it. The story is well put together, and the supporting characters add flavor. There is enough of a mystery to keep most readers interested until the very end, and Max is a strong protagonist willing to face his problems head on.—Wayne R. Cherry, Jr., First Baptist Academy Library, Houston, TX