CRAZY IN POUGHKEEPSIE

The inimitable Daniel Pinkwater brings his zany wit and wisdom to this charming and silly slice-of-life adventure story, in which a boy seeking guidance embarks on an adventure around the city of Poughkeepsie with his misfit friends. Pinkwater writes with a skill and timelessness that has caused the Washington Post Book World to proclaim him as "the funniest writer of children's books" and "a Living National Treasure." ADVENTURES OF A DWERGISH GIRL, Daniel Pinkwater's previous middle grade novel, is set in the same universe as CRAZY IN POUGHKEEPSIE.

The Story: Mick Katz returns from summer camp to find a ghost whale named Luna in his hometown. Together with his brother, an environmental activist, a guru from Tibet, and a Dwergish girl named Molly, he'll pursue a quest through the suburbs of Poughkeepsie to help the whale make it to the "whaley pearly gates" of Heaven. Along the way, the children
will discover mystical shenanigans galore, including a rollicking ghost party, a very strange little king, and the truth about the afterlife.

Daniel Pinkwater is the author of over 80 wildly popular children's and middle grade books that have sold over 2 million copies. Pinkwater is an occasional commentator on NPR's All Things Considered and regularly appeared on Weekend Edition Saturday, where he reviewed kids' books with host Scott Simon.