Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty was an interesting problem novel about children with different abilities. Can't say it was terrific, but it was certainly painless and interesting. I think it is frequently used as a class novel. Will certainly haul it out for the problem novel unit.

Last Book in the Universe was sort of Fahrenheit 451-esque, but had more action and suspense. Have to love a book whose message is that everyone's life is a story yet to be written. Will get this out today to a student.

REM World didn't do as much for me. I think it is perhaps for slightly younger students. Fat child orders device that will make him thin in his sleep-- when he slips it on he goes into another world where he must save the universe from Nothingness. A bit Phantom Tollbooth-esque, and the pat ending-- where he is suddenly thin-- somehow took away from the story for me. Still, I think there is a reader or two out there for it.