100% hero by Jayne Lyons

Random House, 2009. ISBN 978171663969.
(Age 9+) Although part of a family of werewolves and 'the second greatest werewolf ever', Freddy Lupin has a problem. At some full moons, he transforms into a black poodle and not a wolf. With the arrival of his father Flasheart's distant cousin, Chester Pucely and his daughter, things start to go wrong as Freddy tries to impress the 'perfect' Priscilla. When his father is captured and taken to zoo, as a result of Freddy's actions, the young wolf sets out to rescue Flasheart and keep the family secrets. In the meantime, he is sent off to camp, where he has to learn to dance ballet. He befriends several other students who are also misfits and manages to solve the family's problems.
I found that the style of this book did not provide the engrossing read for which I had hoped. The author's humour was definitely of the 'bottom' variety and sadly did not appeal to me as much as it may to the younger male readers. Made up names and words in this text somehow did not gel and I found this novel a challenge to complete. Perhaps, for disinclined boys, it will still hold some appeal. Whilst there may be some underlying themes which could be brought out for the student, I found this a disappointing read and certainly not a text.
Jo Schenkel