LO-JACK AND THE PIRATES
by William H. Hooks & illustrated by Tricia Tusa
A ``Bank Street Ready-to-Read'' (Level 3) that combines the Amelia Bedelia variety of comic literal-mindedness and an adventure story with a satisfying final twist. Hijacked by pirates, ``Lo-Jack'' alternately amuses and dumbfounds his captors by misconstruing their orders (whether to ``hit the deck,'' ``weigh the anchor,'' or ``cut the sails''), finally escaping by—instead of firing a cannon at their assailants- -lighting a fire under it and thus blowing up the pirates' ship. Good fun, ably visualized in Tusa's energetic art. (Easy reader. 5-9)