Crutcher Chris. King of the mild frontier; an ill-advised autobiography.

CRUTCHER Chris. King of the mild frontier; an ill-advised autobiography. HarperCollins, Tempest. 260p. illus. c2003.0-06-050251-7. $6.99. JS *

Chris Crutcher is known for his sports-themed novels and athletically gifted protagonists. Yet, in this memoir of his childhood in the small town of Cascade, Idaho, he paints himself as the quintessential geek, a boy who tries and fails at various sports endeavors in an unending quest to gain the attention of girls. He is the 98-pound weakling, the boy who runs from baseballs, the camper who can't catch his own dinner, the bicycle racer who comes in the last of the last, the victimized little brother of an older bigger brother, the "C" student who makes up stories for book reports instead of actually reading the book.

Although this book is often laugh-out loud funny, darker themes run through it: his mother's alcoholism, his struggles with a ferocious temper, his questions about religion, his complex relationship with his father, and the elements of his life that turned him into the storyteller (and athlete) he is today. Although there is some mild profanity, any reader from sixth grade to adulthood will enjoy this not-so-ill-advised rendition of Crutcher's childhood. Myrna Marler, Assoc. Prof. of English, BYU, Provo, UT

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.