Call the Shots

Gr 9 Up—Calame's hilarious companion (2012) to Swim the Fly (2009) and Beat the Band (2010, all Candlewick) will convert anyone who is on the fence about listening to audiobooks. Featuring Coop, Sean, and Matt, this title follows the same vein of humor and fun as the previous two books. This time Sean takes the spotlight, so the book is told from his perspective. The plot revolves around another one of Coop's crazy schemes: to make a short horror movie and win the $50,000 prize at Rockville's TerrorFest. The problem is that the trio has no script, no money, and no equipment. At first, Sean is reluctant to go along with the plan, but when his parents announce that he will be sharing a room with his twin sister because a baby is on the way, he quickly agrees to the movie so that he can use his share of the prize money to build a new room on his house. Sean is a nice guy who experiences some embarrassing and hilarious life lessons throughout the story. He goes from wanting a relationship with one girl to finding himself involved in three relationships—all very different and comical. Plenty of realistic teen lingo and situations can be found here. Narrator Nick Podehl gives an outstanding performance and makes each character come alive for listeners. A can't-be-missed audiobook with lots of laugh-out-loud moments.—Sheila Acosta, Cody Library, San Antonio, TX