Mac Slater vs. the City

Gr 5—8—In this sequel to Mac Slater Hunts the Cool (S & S, 2010), the eighth grader, his father, and his friend Paul travel from small-town Kings Bay, Australia, to New York City for their second Coolhunter competition. Coolhunters are young adults who find the most cutting-edge things to try to make, get, or achieve by posting, streaming, or linking to them on the Coolhunter website. Unfortunately, when they arrive in Manhattan, the owners of the site, who have promised to fund anything and everything during their stay in the Big Apple, are nowhere to be found. Lost luggage, a taxi strike, a seedy hotel in Times Square, little funds, and being 10,000 miles from home are just a few things that get these three off to the wrong start. The owners do finally arrive, and the Coolhunter competition is on, with Mac and Paul pitted against four other competitors. The story takes twists and turns that are both surprising and rewarding. Mac will have kids rooting for him and screaming at him not to do stupid things, and they'll second-guess some of his decisions. An easy sell to many middle graders.—Patty Saidenberg, George Jackson Academy, New York City