DEEP DOO DOO

A rarity in children's books: a humorous political thriller. Bennet, 12, listens as his parents bemoan local politics, with an election just weeks away. His latest invention is a television transmitter, with which he and his best friend, Pete, can commandeer the local TV station's airwaves. They use this ability- -and Pete's black Labrador retriever as spokesdog—to comment on the governor's bid for reelection. Their little prank soon spirals out of control as national media coverage puts reporters, the police, and the FBI on their trail. The appalling title may put off adults, but this page-turner is carefully plotted and paced, and introduces a full program of intriguing issues in the context of an exciting story. Along the way, Delaney ably skewers politicians, the media, and pundits of all stripes. Topical and thoughtful, but mostly entertaining. (Fiction. 8-11)