Stanley Kiesel

This book is about a student rebellion in a public grade school. Led by a skinny, nerdy boy who unites all the different groups of students in sabotage against their teachers and the evil principal who wants to force them all into conformity. Eventually events escalate into outright warfare. This book is pretty funny, and at the same time makes some good points about friendship, loyalty, and the value of individuality- even if it's all very exaggerated. There's a matronly janitor who acts as mentor and spy, a wild girl who will eat anything, and of course, the bookworms. They don't want to have anything to do with the war, just sit in peace in their hidey-holes (sewer tunnels under the school), read and swap books! Eventually they're convinced to join in the rebellion as well. I had to search long and hard to find the sequel, Skinny Malinky Leads the War for Kidness, but it wasn't half as good as The War and I can't even remember much about it now.

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