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HECK: WHERE THE BAD KIDS GO Dale E. Basye; illustrated by Bob Dob Hardcover | Random House Books for Young Readers | 978-0-375-84075-3 | July 2008 | $16.99 | Ages 9-12 Hardcover Library Binding | Random House Books for Young Readers | 978-0-375-94075-0 | July 2008 | $19.99 | Ages 9-12

When Milton is accidentally caught up in his sister’s latest shoplifting spree, the last thing he expects is to end up dead. But dead he is. How did it happen, you ask? Let’s just say it involved a life-sized replica of a bear made entirely of marshmallows and an explosive device placed in a very, well, private place. Once the bear exploded, Milton and his sister Marlo found themselves hurled down to Heck—a place that’s nowhere near to Heaven and is not quite the “other place” either. With their new Principal of Darkness Bea “Elsa” Bubb in control, Marlo and Milton are tortured in ways they never thought possible—only liver, brussel sprouts, and cod liver oil to eat; baths that are really sandblastings; and teachers who are horrible famous people from the past. Will Milton and Marlo be able to learn enough in Heck to keep them from going to the really bad place when they are up for reevaluation? Or is Heck only a stopping point until they find themselves going deeper, and deeper, and deeper. . . .

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Prepared by Brenda Day, Library Media Specialist, Aledo Middle School, Aledo, Texas

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