Return to Augie Hobble

Augie Hobble lives in a fairy tale–or at least Fairy Tale Place, the down-on-its-luck amusement park managed by his father. Yet his life is turning into a nightmare: he’s failed creative arts and has to take summer school, the girl he has a crush on won’t acknowledge him, and Hogg Wills and the school bullies won’t leave him alone. Worse, a succession of mysterious, possibly paranormal, events have him convinced that he’s turning into a werewolf. At least Augie has his notebook and his best friend Britt to confide in–until the unthinkable happens and Augie’s life is turned upside down, and those mysterious, possibly paranormal, events take on a different meaning. Return to Augie Hobble by Lane Smith is a charming tale about a boy stumbling through life and the supernatural. Hilarious, tender, wise, the book is packed with haunting illustrations throughout that all make for one, unforgettable middle-grade adventure. The incomparable Lane Smith stomps triumphantly into the middle school playground with his first novel. –The New York Times Book Review