Al Capsella Takes a Vacation

This is the third and final volume in the Al Capsella series. Time has flown since the second novel and Al and his friend Lou Pine are sixteen and beginning to assert their independence from "the Watchdogs," their parents. The summer holidays are near and Lou can't stand the thought of one more holiday with his parents at "Bilbar" their family vacation shack. The boys are dreaming of a holiday with discos, girls and freedom. Can Al come to the rescue with a scheme that will deliver their hopes? This book strongly evokes the sense of change that so characterizes the late adolescence's life experiences: holiday jobs, learning to drive and final exams all feature. Even the socially inept Lou seems to have finally got himself a secret girlfriend. The novel's strongest point is that it manages to combine true teenage angst with a zest for life and a sense of the comic. Teenagers are encouraged to 'lighten up' while facing real difficulties. All the novels in this series have a strong Australian flavor, so they are excellent in showing U.S. kids a different life style. This book particularly has a cross-cultural sub-plot.

"Are you boys going home from vacation?" everyone asks Al Capsella and his friend as they board a bus for Scutchthorpe. Alas for Al, he is going to Scutchthorpe for their vacation. But he won't need his surfboard unless it gets pretty windy by Reilly's Dam (a lot of things get lost in Reilly's Dam). The truth is, it has been a little while since I read this book and I don't remember every detail. But it might be the funniest book I've ever read. I couldn't recommend it to people after I read it because as I was trying to explain it I would start laughing uncontrollably. I think it is a complete book, I am 21 now and would read it again without hesitating, I think the last time I read it I was 20, so don't be afraid if you've passed your teenage years. I loved the other two Al Capsella books, maybe the Heroic Life is better, but this one is definitely the funniest. I especially recommend this to people who love Gordon Korman. For anyone who has ever wondered why birds fly south for the winter, J. Clarke might just be able to answer your question. This book just shouldn't be out of print!