I enjoyed this but wondered if it might be a bit slow-moving for the average young reader. Most of the book focuses on Mouse's fear as he waits for retailiation from the school bully after he labeled a Neanderthal poster with the bully's name. The story only covers about two and a half days, but there are some brief flashbacks, including his lists of emergency situations and his friend's solutions for surviving them. Some of them really had me laughing. I liked the unique way Mouse liked to label things and draw little arrows on them. It showed him as a kind of strange and quirky little guy with a sense of humor and an eye to the unusual. I also like the idea that Mouse realized that the bully felt bad when he was labeled, but this point was minor. Minor spoiler: The biggest impression is that of his unbearable fear until he decides to face up to it. I thought it a little too pat that his friends drop his nickname right away out of respect. Also several details show that this was a book published in 1973 despite the somewhat newer art on the cover. Also the book ends almost too cutely the exact way it began: with a boy running and a dog running too without knowing why. It seemed a little too forced and obvious. But overall I did enjoy reading this; I'm just not sure if kids will.
What do You think about The 18th Emergency (1981)?
