Gr 5-7 In the land of Hokey Pokey, kids reign supreme. There are no adults, only older kids to guide the younger ones through their days of play and exploration. Jack, an older boy, has become a legend, roaming Hokey Pokey on his wild bike, Scramjet. When Scramjet is stolen by his rival, wild girl Jubilee, Jack's life suddenly seems meaningless. As the day winds on, Jack finds that it is not only the absence of his beloved bike that has left him feeling off center. He soon realizes that only he can hear the train's call in the distance&30;a train that seems to be coming on what had always been empty tracks. While Spinelli's coming-of-age tale (Knopf, 2013) builds a marvelous metaphor for leaving childhood, the book is more enjoyable in print format. Narrators Maxwell Glick and Tara Sands both do an admirable job, but Spinelli's almost stream-of-consciousness writing style is slightly confusing to experience only audibly. The print version also contains a map of Hokey Pokey which grounds readers as they enter this dreamlike world. Jessica Miller, West Springfield Public Library, MA

If childhood were a place…. In the adultless land of Hokey Pokey, a dry, sandy environment reminiscent of the Southwest, children arrive when they've outgrown diapers and receive a ticklish tattoo of an eye on their abdomens. At midday they line up for a serving of hokey pokey, an ice treat in any flavor imaginable. The rest of their day is spent playing, watching a giant television with nonstop cartoons or riding bicycles, which are horselike creatures that roll in herds and can buck their owners off at will. In this inventive, modern fable, Jack awakens with a bad feeling that's realized when his legendary Scramjet bike is stolen by Jubilee, a girl no less, and his tattoo has started to fade. As he searches for his bike and the reason why "[t]he world is rushing at him, confusing him, alarming him," he recalls The Story about The Kid who grew up and hinted at tomorrow, an unrecognizable place to children. With nods to J.M. Barrie, Dr. Seuss and Philip Pullman, Newbery Medalist Spinelli crafts stunning turns of phrase as Jack "unfunks" and tries to "dehappen" the day's events. While reluctantly accepting his growing up, Jack brings Hokey Pokey's bully to justice, suddenly finds Jubilee an interesting companion and prepares his Amigos for his imminent departure. A masterful, bittersweet recognition of coming-of-age. (Fiction. 10-13, adult)

With landmarks including "Forbidden Hut" and "Gorilla Hill" (a mound of dirt), Hokey Pokey is a Neverland-like world peopled by children characterized as "Newbies," "Snotsippers," "Sillynillies," and "Gappergums." Spinelli's allegory of Childhood Lost can be alienating in its improvisatory nature, with stream-of-consciousness run-on sentences and made-up words. Some readers may thrill to the narrative style, just as others will find it impenetrable.

If childhood were a place…. In the adultless land of Hokey Pokey, a dry, sandy environment reminiscent of the Southwest, children arrive when they've outgrown diapers and receive a ticklish tattoo of an eye on their abdomens. At midday they line up for a serving of hokey pokey, an ice treat in any flavor imaginable. The rest of their day is spent playing, watching a giant television with nonstop cartoons or riding bicycles, which are horselike creatures that roll in herds and can buck their owners off at will. In this inventive, modern fable, Jack awakens with a bad feeling that's realized when his legendary Scramjet bike is stolen by Jubilee, a girl no less, and his tattoo has started to fade. As he searches for his bike and the reason why "[t]he world is rushing at him, confusing him, alarming him," he recalls The Story about The Kid who grew up and hinted at tomorrow, an unrecognizable place to children. With nods to J.M. Barrie, Dr. Seuss and Philip Pullman, Newbery Medalist Spinelli crafts stunning turns of phrase as Jack "unfunks" and tries to "dehappen" the day's events. While reluctantly accepting his growing up, Jack brings Hokey Pokey's bully to justice, suddenly finds Jubilee an interesting companion and prepares his Amigos for his imminent departure. A masterful, bittersweet recognition of coming-of-age. (Fiction. 10-13, adult)

In the place called Hokey Pokey, the kids wbies, Snotsippers, Gapergums, Sillynillys, Longspitters, Groundhog Chasers, and Big Kids e everywhere, doing what kids do: streaking, leaping, chasing, shrieking, hokeypokeying, and more. In short, playing. Yes, kids are everywhere, but there isn't an adult anywhere except for the Hokey Pokey Man, who brings square snowball treats to the kids. It's here in this eccentric place that Jack, a popular Big Kid, awakens one morning to hear the whispered words "It's time." Could this have something to do with the story all the kids know, in which The Kid announces, "I am going away"? Readers will find out as they follow Jack throughout one memorable day of discoveries, including the knowledge of something called tomorrow. Spinelli has written a tender, bittersweet story of coming of age and the changes and leave-takings it involves. In its spirit and style, the novel evokes Ray Bradbury's sometimes sentimental, nostalgic work, especially Dandelion Wine. Spinelli remains his own man, however, and his latest sui generis novel is sure to delight his many fans. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: An extensive outreach campaign that ranges from a designated hashtag to a national author tour has put this title on the radar of readers well beyond Spinelli's already large audience.