How to Catch a Polar Bear

May 15, 2023
When Nick Spirakis spots Frosty the polar bear in the alley behind his house, he knows that the summer of 1948 will not be tranquil. Nick, the son of Greek immigrants, lives in Wisconsin, only a few blocks from the city zoo. His mother even mentions an episode involving an escaped monkey in 1929. But this is not the 12-year-old's first encounter with a zoo animal, as told in The Rhino in Right Field (2018). Nick shines shoes on Saturday mornings in his Pop's shop and works at Uncle Spiro's frozen custard shop in the afternoons. This summer Spiro has the frozen custard concession at the zoo, and Nick and a 14-year-old boy will run the freezer cart. Nick is sure his presence at the zoo will help him and pals Ace and Penny solve the mystery of Frosty's escape. What follows is a breathless, often hilarious, series of events. A custard war, a secret ingredient, dastardly deeds, animals behaving strangely, a bit of romance, and a stand for girls' rights are all part of the adventures. Nick will win readers' hearts as he narrates the tale, speaking with enthusiasm, humility, and honesty. The characters are charming, funny, and quirky, and DeKeyser seamlessly weaves in cultural references and slang expressions from the postwar period. Wonderfully imaginative with just a touch of earnestness. (author's note) (Fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2023
Grades 4-7 In this funny and heartwarming companion to The Rhino in Right Field (2018), Nick, 12, narrates the tale of how Frosty, a polar bear, ruins Nick's summer plans after escaping from the local Milwaukee zoo. It's 1948, and Nick expects to spend the summer playing ball with his friends Ace and Penny. As the summer begins, Nick is shocked to discover Frosty in the alley behind his house. Though Frosty is soon recaptured, Nick learns he was deliberately let out of his cage. While Nick is stuck working at his uncle Spiro's frozen custard concession (which happens to be at the zoo), Ace gets a paper route, which he hands off to Penny after a week. Uncle Spiro's business rival, the nasty Happy Harold, sets up a retaliatory custard stand just outside the zoo. As Ace unhappily starts working for Happy, the kids seize the opportunity to investigate Frosty's escape. All the characters have big personalities and cue as white. This sweet, relatable story will appeal to readers interested in friendship, family relationships, and community.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.