Korman, Gordon. Born to Rock.

KORMAN, Gordon. Born to rock. Hyperion. 261 p. c2006. 0-7868-0920-5. $15.99. JS *

Another wild, funny adventure from Korman, who knows how to please his YA audience. The protagonist, Leo, finds out that his biological father is a punk rock star, and when Leo has graduated from high school he seeks him out: King Maggot, lead singer for Purge. King has been in retirement for a long time, but this summer he and his band are on a revival tour, and Leo goes along as a roadie, hoping to get to know his biological father, and hoping to use the connection to get his Harvard University tuition paid. Leo is a Young Republican, a conservative in every way, so you can imagine his horror at the antics he sees on this tour. Yet, for the first time in his life, he is living his own life, not a carefully programmed script for his future financial success, and that counts for a lot.

King Maggot doesn't turn out to be anything like we might expect. It's obvious that Korman knows a lot about punk rock and what it stands for, and it seems he enjoys having Leo finally come to appreciate its authentic rage--we're not really talking about music here, more a cultural phenomenon. Leo's best friend is Melinda and the two go back to when they were toddlers. She is a Goth and a vegan who idolizes Purge and is disgusted with Leo's interest in money and Republicans. She comes on the road, following the tour, camping out, and eventually she and Leo find a way to connect around their differences.

The excesses of the band are seen with disgust through the eyes of Leo, so while there is outrageous behavior (cocaine, casual sex) in the background, it is roundly condemned. Leo has his own code of honor and he sticks to it, being completely honest even when it costs him his scholarship to Harvard. A wonderful ending ensues, which I won't give away. Claire Rosser, KLIATT