Wallace Wallace is an honest boy. Always has been. He is also very popular at Bedford Middle School since making the winning touchdown in the championship.

Hee winds up being suspended from the team when he writes his honest opinion in his book report on "Old Shep, My Pal." Wallace Wallace hated every second reading the book. He is tired of the dog dying at the end of the book. It seems it is a common theme in books about dogs.

His suspension results in detention, and detention is spent in the drama club. He can get out of the detention if he writes a favourable bookreport on "Old Shep, My Pal" but Wallace just can lie. Teasing from his team mates doesn't make it any easier.

Over time, Wallace takes an interest in the play and starts to contribute. When the play set and rehersals get vandalized, Wallace is thought to be guilty. Wallace sets out to find out who the guilty party is.

The plot tells of how being honest can have repercussions that aren't great. Also that sticking to your beliefs is not easy, but it is true to yourself. Another line is that even if you don't seem to have much in common with people you have to associate with, at first, you may find there are things that you do share and can develop friendships on.

I liked the energy and creativeness of the characters. It is a good read. ( )

A cute YA story, and one I would have loved twenty years ago. Not particularly unique or creative within the genre, but a fun quick read nonetheless. ( )

Eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to detention attending rehearsals of the school play where, in spite of himself, he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve not only the play but his life as well.

Wallace Wallace, accidental football hero, is on detention because his teacher doesn't like his review of "Old Shep, My Pal." Detention happens to take place during play rehearsals for a play based on the very same book, because the teacher is also the director of the play. Wallace Wallace, who cannot tell a lie, starts making suggestions to improve the play. Meanwhile, someone is trying to sabotage the play, and a lot of people think it's Wallace Wallace.

Wallace Wallace notes early in the book "Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down" (p. 5). So true.

I especially appreciate that this book doesn't end the way Andrew Clements' books end, with the kids learning to ignore injustice to make school life easier. In this book, the teacher even learns a lesson!




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Huh.  I'm not sure I understand why other reviewers say this is predictable & cliched.  Sure, it's light, not intense, but I've read a *lot* of MG fiction and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Funny, sweet, and something that both boys and girls can appreciate.  The Rick-isms often made me lol, I have to admit.  And the nod to Tom Sawyer's fence was charming.  And, while I did have the right person in mind as a suspect in the mystery, I was not at all sure that I had it solved. ( )