From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8?Bruno and Boots, practical jokers extraordinaire at a Canadian boarding school, return in this seventh book starring the popular duo. Just as headmaster William "The Fish" Sturgeon considers retiring because there are no surprises left at Macdonald Hall, a wave of pranks opens the school year, from water balloons bursting in science class to blue dye in the swimming pool. Fingers point to Bruno and Boots as the prime suspects, but this time it's a phantom practical joker who is to blame. As their gags come back to haunt them, the roommates must find out who is trying to frame them and why. When the identity of the true culprit is revealed, readers will be just as surprised as Bruno and Boots. Fans of the series will delight in another tale of madcap humor, peopled with some of the funniest, most ridiculous adults in middle-grade fiction.?Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 4^-6. The fact that this is the seventh book about Bruno and Boots, roommates and troublemakers at Macdonald Hall boarding school, indicates that boarding-school fiction is a hardy perennial. The plot is tried-and-true: rules are bent and broken, and there's sneaking around after dark. This year, however, there's another prankster at school, and Boots and Bruno spend most of the time trying to prove their innocence by finding the guilty party. Incidents move along rapidly, and the lack of substance won't deter a reluctant reader in search of laughs.
Mary Harris Veeder
