THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF ALFRED KROPP

Alfred Kropp is an overweight, underachieving teen whose main goals in life consist of getting his learner’s permit and dating Amy Pouchard. Things take a very unexpected turn, however, when his uncle talks him into participating in a get-rich-quick scheme. The scheme involves stealing a valuable sword (which just happens to be Excalibur), and before Alfred knows it, he has vowed to protect the powerful sword from the motorcycle-riding, sword-wielding Agents of Darkness. Although he wonders why a group of modern-day knights would entrust him with such an important mission, Alfred enjoys a new-found sense of purpose, which is further fueled by his discovery that he is the last descendent of Lancelot. Yancey has hit one out of the park with this original, engaging and sequel-worthy read. He does a fine job of balancing King Arthur’s legend with contemporary action sequences well suited for the silver screen. The expertly paced plot will keep action-adventure fans entertained, and those interested in all things Camelot will get a kick out of watching this funny, self-deprecating teenager save the world. (Fiction. YA)