Augie Hobble lives in a fairy tale―or at least Fairy Tale Place, the down-on-its-luck amusement park managed by his father. Yet his life is turning into a nightmare: he's failed creative arts and has to take summer school, the girl he has a crush on won't acknowledge him, and Hogg Wills and the school bullies won't leave him alone. Worse, a succession of mysterious, possibly paranormal, events have him convinced that he's turning into a werewolf. At least Augie has his notebook and his best friend Britt to confide in―until the unthinkable happens and Augie's life is turned upside down, and those mysterious, possibly paranormal, events take on a different meaning. Gr 4–6—Smith's first novel begins with a scattered and zany atmosphere. That's entirely appropriate, given its setting at a struggling New Mexico amusement park. It may, however, present as much of a problem in attracting and retaining readers as Fairy Tale Place has in luring in customers. Augie's failed his Creative Arts class at the aptly named Gerald R. Ford Middle School and must complete a project over the summer. His story is interspersed with his cartoon ideas for the assignment, which make it clear that Augie lacks decisiveness more than creativity. These pieces, along with frequent insertions of Smith's illustrations, break up the text in ways which will appeal to kids who enjoy art-heavy, journal-form novels. About a quarter of the way through, intersections of the folkloric and the paranormal combine to give a more coherent direction to the narrative, despite our view through the scrim of implausibility. Werewolves, UFOs, and communications from the world beyond are prominently featured, but it's the fate of Augie's best friend and Augie's struggle to cope with responsibility for it that deepen the book and make it more touching than it initially seems. VERDICT Readers who persevere through the broad comedy will find a story with heart within.—Miriam Lang Budin, Chappaqua Library, NY “Does an impeccable job of introducing heartbreak while keeping the mood light.” ― Publishers Weekly, starred review “Great fun, with hardly a trope or theme left unspun.” ― Kirkus, starred review “Smith huffs and puffs and blows the roof off his first novel. . . Bravo!” ― Booklist, starred review “Like the late comic master Terry Pratchett, Smith knows how to make profound points lightly as he holds a funhouse mirror to the larger world.” ― The Washington Post “An emotionally resonant reflection on friendship and loss.” ― BCCB “This unusual, ultimately exultant story is tinged with the supernatural and heartbreaking at its core.” ― The Wall Street Journal “The incomparable Lane Smith stomps triumphantly into the middle school playground with his first novel.” ― The New York Times Book Review Lane Smith has written and illustrated a bunch of stuff, including the Kate Greenaway Medalist There Is A Tribe of Kids , and A Perfect Day . He is also the author of the middle-grade novel Return to Augie Hobble, as well as author and illustrator of Caldecott Honor book Grandpa Green and runaway New York Times bestseller It's a Book which has been translated into over twenty languages. His other works include the national bestsellers Madam President and John, Paul, George & Ben . His titles with Jon Scieszka have included the Caldecott Honor winner The Stinky Cheese Man ; The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs ; Math Curse ; and Science Verse . Lane's other high profile titles include Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! by Dr. Seuss and Jack Prelutsky; The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip by George Saunders; Big Plans by Bob Shea; and James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. In 1996, Lane served as Conceptual Designer on the Disney film version of James and the Giant Peach . In 2012, the Eric Carle Museum named him a Carle Artist for "lifelong innovation in the field of children's picture books," and in 2014, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Society of Illustrators. He lives in rural Connecticut with the designer Molly Leach.