Johnny's in the Basement

Louis Sachar's early novel is a gentle, funny look at the awkward stretch between childhood and growing up — Johnny's bottle-cap rebellion and his friendship with Valerie feel honest and warm without any heavy-handedness. The plot is slight and stakes are low, but for a middle-grader who isn't ready to leave childhood behind, that's exactly the point. A good-natured read with Sachar's unmistakable absurdist voice showing up even this early in his career.