Super troop

In retrospect, Cooper acknowledges his escapade at the amusement park wasn't a bright idea, but at the time, he didn't realize it would turn his promising post-sixth-grade "Summer of Awesomeness" upside down. Two years after his parents' divorce, they're united on one thing: their son needs to learn discipline. Suddenly, he and Nacho (Ignacio, his best friend and partner in crime) are reluctantly spending three days a week as members of the local Ranger troop, where an ex-Marine attempts to whip his motley crew into shape while teaching them respect and survival skills. A demanding camping trip tests their mettle and leads Cooper to take an unexpected stand, surprising himself, his friends, and his parents. Cooper's lively first-person narrative begins from a fairly narrow perspective, but as events unfold, he's willing to consider other points of view. Hopeful, poignant, and doomed to failure, his attempts to reunite his parents will strike a chord with many readers. Hale, the author of the Chet Gecko series, weaves humor into the story as well. An enjoyable chapter book.

The Bad News Bears meet the Boy Scouts in Hale's (Switched) snarky, family-centric adventure novel. Aspiring cartoonist and animator Cooper "Coop" McCall is still coming to terms with his parents' divorce two years back, but he's looking forward to a Summer of Awesomeness with best friend Ignacio "Nacho" Perez, especially a weeklong cartooning camp. Everything is thrown into disarray, however, after a characteristic but egregious misstep at a theme park lands the rising seventh graders in hot water and, to enforce "responsibility and impulse control," a stint in the Boy Rangers. Led by retired Marine Rockwell Pierce, the two friends and their equally reluctant troopmates work to earn merit badges and qualify for the annual Wilderness Jamboree, in which troops compete for esteem and stature. But they must endure the scoutmaster's drill-sergeant discipline, penchant for creative insults ("rancid fridge biscuits"), and utter negligence, all played for laughs. Though some motivations strain the plot's believability, and occasional commentary about women strikes on odd note, brisk pacing and surly narration (according to Coop, the Rangers are "for dorks and rejects") make for a tidy paean to adolescent responsibility. Occasional b&w illustrations take a caricature style. Biracial Coop is of Japanese descent; Nacho is cued as Latinx; Rockwell is portrayed with "walnut-brown skin." Ages 8--12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (June)