Gr 5-7 As a huge fan of comedic TV anchorman Jon Stewart, David Greenberg creates original Talk Time videos starring himself and his hamster, and posts them on YouTube. His former friend, Elliott, used to collaborate on the videos, but now chooses to hang out with Tommy Murphy, an infamous bully who besets David, a lowly sixth grader. Short and scrawny, David is an easy target for Tommy's depredations, yet he simultaneously wins the friendship and loyalty of sweet Sophie, who tells all her friends to view his hilarious videos and post great comments, bringing good publicity to David, who intends to become a famous talk-show host. Then Hammy dies, and after Tommy subjects David to the ultimate indignity of a swirlie, he wonders what good is it to be famous online while being called Lameberg at school. Part of his problem is that he misses his mother, who abandoned the family for another man, as well as the fact that he insulted his older sister by mocking her acne treatments in his videos. Then there's Elliott, whose fickle behavior defies understanding, but who eventually returns to being David's friend. Things start to look up with the exciting news that David's clever videos will be aired on "The Daily Show". With short chapters and broad humor, this one is for "Wimpy Kid" aficionados (Abrams)."Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
David dreams of becoming a TV star like his idol Jon Stewart--but first he has to get through middle school. His anxieties are compounded when he loses his best friend then meets a girl who helps him become a star on the Internet. While David's fears are in line with his age, his narrative voice and ambitions make him sound a little older. Glos.
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