Zack Files 05: Dr. Jekyll, Orthodontist (The Zack Files) - Softcover

Dan Greenburg has known success as a humorist, a novelist, a journalist, a screenwriter, and a playwright. Now he has turned his considerable talent to writing an original new series of books for a younger audience. Inspired by his own son Zack, for whom the hero of his new series, The Zack Files, is named, Greenburg has combined his love of humor, his interest in things paranormal, and his talent for writing to create books that kids like Zack will want to read.With 18 books to his credit, Dan Greenburg's work has been translated into 19 languages and is available in 22 countries. His best-selling titles for adults include How to Be a Jewish Mother, How to Make Yourself Miserable, Scoring, Love Kills, How to Avoid Love and Marriage and Exes. His previous books for children include Young Santa, The Bed Who Ran Away From Home, Jumbo the Boy and Arnold the Elephant.His articles have appeared in the New Yorker, Esquire, Ms., Time, Newsweek, Life, New York magazine, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times Book Review, Vanity Fair, Playboy, and have been reprinted in 33 anthologies of humor and satire in the United States and England.Born and raised in Chicago, Dan Greenburg received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Illinois, and his M.A. from UCLA. He is the father of Zack, a teenage son, who played the title role in the motion picture, LORENZO'S OIL, and served as the inspiration for The Zack Files. Mr. Greenburg lives in Westchester County, New York.

Grade 3-4?Zack is back! And, weird things are still happening to him. He goes to a new orthodontist, Dr. Jekyll, who insists that he drink rather then swish the "Miracle Mouthwash." As his teeth grow more crooked, Zack begins to think that the mouthwash might be the problem. Sneaking into the orthodontist's back room, he discovers that the dentist is experimenting with this potion on beavers. All ends well with this advice to readers, "I never never drink mouthwash at the dentist's office. I don't think you should, either." In I'm Out of My Body, Zack and a friend experiment with astral travel following the directions in an old book. After several adventures, the boys realize that they forgot to read the directions for returning to their bodies. In a trite ending, Zack's father picks up the book and puts it down open to the needed page. The stylized, pen-and-ink illustrations are numerous but not particularly appealing, with characters' heads and features sometimes out of proportion to the other objects in the picture. However, the simple sentence structure and believable dialogue make for fast reads. Greenburg's sense of humor and zingy one-liners add a humorous touch. Zack and other characters are given life through dialogue and description. Plot development is handled in short, choppy chapters but this is in keeping with the mood and tone of the books. Fans of series books are certain to identify with Zack and enjoy these strange adventures.?Molly S. Kinney, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
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