British teen Ben Fletcher never meant to be a criminal, but after an unfortunate accident involving a crossing guard and a stolen bottle of liquor, he finds himself on probation. Besides doing some community service and keeping a journal, Ben must also take a community education class, and his choices are limited. He chooses a knitting class because he believes it to be taught by his hot English teacher and it seems a better option than the auto-repair class taught by his father. The knitting class is not at all what Ben expected, but it turns out that he is a natural knittereven good enough to qualify for the All-UK Knitting Championship. But as Ben gets more and more into his knitting, he must find a way to keep it a secret from his bonehead friends, his macho father, and the bullies at his school.This is a fun romp with a wonderful, self-deprecating hero. Many teens will relate to Ben, the accidental bad boy, and will laugh at his antics and the lengths he goes to to hide his knitting. The story is paced nicely, with many heartwarming and hilarious moments. The only downside is that the speed at which Ben masters knitting requires some suspension of disbelief, and it contains many pop culture references that may cause it to date quickly. Otherwise, it is a perfect fit for fans of Don Calame's Swim the Fly (Candlewick, 2009/VOYA August 2009) or Michael Gerard Bauer's Don't Call Me Ishmael (HarperCollins, 2007/VOYA December 2007).Elizabeth Norton.

Gr 8 Up-Seventeen-year-old Ben Fletcher is on probation for an incident involving a bottle of Martini & Rossi and the lollipop lady. Although the initial plan was against his better judgment, his knucklehead friends talked him into stealing alcohol, thus landing him in trouble with the law. In order to fulfill the terms of his probation, Ben not only has to complete community service, but he also has to take up an extracurricular activity and maintain a journal chronicling his daily experiences. Rather than sign up for his father's car maintenance course (due to his lack of interest in anything his father deems fun), he takes up knitting. The listed instructor is his extremely hot English teacher and the thought of spending hours with her negates the fact that "knitting is for women." When he arrives at class, he learns that there has been a mix-up in instructors. However, the protagonist soon discovers he is a natural knitter, a fact that he has to hide from his dad and friends. As he takes on this new hobby, he learns a valuable lesson about gender stereotypes, relationships, and self-worth. Easton creates a humorous story told through the fast-paced format of Ben's journal entries. Although not much of a distraction, some British terms might cause slight confusion for some readers. VERDICT Teens will laugh out loud as they read about the protagonist's knitting and non-knitting escapades in this honest coming-of-age yarn. Lindsey Dawson, Saint John's Catholic Prep, Frederick, MD

Starred Review British high-schooler Ben Fletcher has so many problems, it's hard to know where to start. Let's see. His friends coaxed him into stealing a bottle of vermouth, but he bollixed the shoplifting, resulting in an altercation with a senior citizen crossing guard. As part of his rehabilitation, Ben must do community service and take up a hobby. Because the knitting night class is taught by a teacher he is crushing on, he joins, only to learn she actually teaches pottery, and now he is stuck with two knitting needles and a ball of yarn. But what's this? Ben, who excels at math, finds he is very good at deciphering patterns, and his stitch tension is perfect. Soon he is the star of the class (though he doesn't care for colorwork or knitting tea cozies). This wild jumble of fun and wool is also full of heart, thanks to Ben's sweet, worried, and clever voice. Written in diary format (with a wink and a nod to Bridget Jones), this spins from one outrageous (and occasionally raunchy) incident to the next. But it's not all plot and heavy-duty knitting action. Relationships are center stage: the double-entendre bantering of Ben's parents; Ben's evolving association with the aforementioned crossing guard; his trouble with both women and friends. Unique, this one will keep you in stitches.