The PigMENTOR

Once upon a time, in an imperfect world, there were two high-schoolers:John,who liked to play practical jokes, and Lorraine,a shy, sensitive girl who wasn't glamorous but she wasn't the worst thing anyone had ever seen. They met...not "cute" like in certain movies; more like "offbeat." John had 2 not-quite friends who hung around him; the trouble they made was more serious than anything John intended. One day, the 4 teens got together and made prank phone calls. When it was Lorraine's turn, she cheated a little, but the main thing is, that's how John and Lorraine met Angelo Pignati. The next few months were probably the best in the teens' lives up to that point: suddenly they were actually enjoying life, something they weren't really allowed to do at home. Since they lived in an imperfect world, they did NOT live happily ever after,unless they were able to make their own happy endings when they grew up. THE PIGMAN has been targeted as a book parents don't want their kids to read, even for (moan, groan) SCHOOOOOLLLL. Why? It makes parents the bad guys! And parents whose kids already think that way, believe that this book will encourage and confirm their kids' opinion. But kids who aren't sure can always see how their parents measure up against the Conlons and Mrs. Jensen, and even kids who are "against" their parents might decide that compared to John's and Lorraine's, theirs are actually quite decent. Seriously, John and Lorraine got gypped, and they deserved the special treatment and fun they had when they were with "The Pigman." But read the book and experience their imperfect world (and its almost-perfect moments) for yourself.