Matt the Moody Hermit Crab
Grade 4-7-Matt, a crab who has bipolar disorder, runs amok with family and at school until he receives professional treatment and becomes better. This is a multicultural, multi-abled, multicolored, multi-creatured tale, and readers are deep into the story before they can sort it all out and get to the point. Matt's siblings, mother, and teachers all use first names, increasing the difficulty of figuring out who's who, and, worse, these aren't people at all, but crustaceans, sea gulls, turtles, and the like. Matt does exhibit many behaviors of manic-depressiveness, and finally his family realizes he needs serious help after he attempts to stab them with a kitchen knife. The doctor (a pelican) is helpful, though the hospital secretary (a turtle) drones on about insurance. The story attempts too much and lacks style.Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PACopyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.