The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss - ADVISABLE

The Colossus of Roads by Christina Uss, 208 pages. Margaret Ferguson (Holiday House), May 2020.  $18.

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

To say Rick, 10yo, has a nervous stomach doesn’t even begin to explain the scope of the problem.  He walks to school because he can’t “stomach”the bus.  He can’t even do drive-thru! Probably because of his illness, Rick does love roads. He is constantly on GoogleEarth and stalking the traffic cameras dreaming of new ways to smooth traffic – especially to help his parents with their Polish catering business. When his friend Mila shows him her current Girl Scout project – repurposing old traffic signs as public art – Rick thinks he might have a way to tell someone with pull about his “Snarl Solutions” as he calls them.  Even when he can’t get to a real traffic person, he has an idea – of course if someone catches on, he might get into a LOT of trouble.

So fun to see a boy as the star of a middle grade book.  Rick is very creative – about traffic.  I personally wish his Snarl Solutions really would work.  Otherwise, it is fun to read about his escapades.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS