Rex Zero, King of Nothing (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: Rex Zero, King of Nothing Elizabeth Bush Wynne-Jones, Tim Rex Zero, King of Nothing Kroupa/Farrar, 2008 217p ISBN 978-0-374-36259-1 $16.95 R Gr. 4–7 Rex “Zero” Norton-Norton is, as evinced in Rex Zero and the End of the World (BCCB 4/07), a master at logically organizing his curiosities and anxieties. In this outing, he’s consumed with his father’s cranky, sullen behavior, his sister Annie’s snooping in Dad’s study, the collective survival of his sixth-grade class now that draconian sub Miss Garr has arrived, and the well-being of Natasha Lavender, a beautiful neighborhood woman who, he suspects, is being abused by her husband. Rex musters his mates to tackle the problems of Miss Garr (a bogus love letter might divert her attention away from classroom cruelty) and Natasha (who does need assistance in chasing her husband off), but he’s on his own with Dad, who has been keeping a secret or two regarding his service in World War II. Once again, Wynne-Jones handily balances the humorous quirkiness of his hero with truly troublesome undercurrents of adult concerns that disturb his peace. While other middle-grade authors frequently reveal benign explanations for dark mysteries, Wynne-Jones respects kid instinct for recognizing trouble when they see it—Garr, Lavender, and even Dad have real issues that Rex and his gang can variously fix or suffer, but certainly not ignore. Only a few cultural references and Dad’s military history mark the 1960s setting; most readers will simply regard Rex as a contemporary and his escapades as timeless. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois