Pigboy
by Vicki Grant
PIGBOY by Vicki Grant
Category:  Contemporary
Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
Release Date:  10/30/06
Publisher:  Orca Books
Reviewed by:  
Grandma Bev
Rating:  4 Stars


Dan Hogg is the kid that everyone teases and insults....his name just begs for it, and besides that, he wears glasses and has
weird hair. He really dreads the upcoming class field trip to a farm that raises pigs -- this should be an especially bad day for
Dan, and the day does start out with the class bully making life miserable for him.

A career criminal has knocked the farm owner out, and locked him in a shed in order to rob him, but when the bus load of
8th-graders show up, it really messes up his plans.  He's not quite sure what to do with them, but his boss says to get rid of
them all.

At first the kids and the teacher believe the robber is the farmer that they have come to see, but gradually realize that he is
not, and that they have much to fear.  Dan is determined to outwit the crook and save his classmates from the sure death
that the man is planning for them.

The story is narrated by Dan, the class nerd, himself.  It's an exciting, funny adventure, with the tension building to a very
satisfying finish. This award-winning author has a great sense of humor, and will have you laughing at Dan, and with him, as
he outsmarts the bumbling robber and rescues his classmates in a short, quick read that will appeal to reluctant readers.