Finally a novel that addresses the ages-old dilemma of every adolescent boy--the inexplicable onslaught of frequent erections at the most inappropriate times. An embarrassing but inescapable rite of puberty. If there was ever a genuine "boy book," this is it because it's a story only boys (or men who remember this perfectly awful time of life) can truly appreciate. ( )

Bobby Connor is an eighth grader with some serious and often hilarious problems. Puberty is hitting him like a freight train, a very public freight train. His family, including an angry seventh grade sister who hates him, a mother who worries about what the neighbors will think, a father whose whole life if about negotiations and a lewd, crude dude for a grandfather, is not helping him to navigate the traumas of middle school and growing up. He questions whether he is normal but knows he’s not as abnormal as those around him think he is. With the threat of expulsion hanging over his head due to an accident caused by his previous Math teacher’s over reaction to a very visible indication of his impending manhood, Bobby must attend “correctional erectional therapy” with the school psychologist. Add his crush on a very pretty new girl and his difficult relationship with her father, his new Math teacher, and the combination creates a scenario for hilarious and heartfelt outcomes. Bobby learns a lot more than Math. He learns about dealing with all kinds of people, about friendship, about new love and about himself.

Mr. Sitomer has a talent for using teenage language that is seldom seen in young adult fiction. His ability to include an uncountable number of euphemisms for an erection is a literary device that will act as a voice for young mail readers. They will identify with Bobby and his troubles and will cheer for him and laugh with him while he struggles with middle school life’s tragedies. His love interest, Allison, gives girl readers a chance to understand and accept the often unfamiliar, difficult situations puberty inflicts on boys. This is a definite purchase for any middle school library but be prepared for some nervous giggles and out loud laughing in the library. Grades 6 -10. ( )