Harry & Hortense at Hormone High by Paul Zindel. New York: Harper & Row, 1984.   Harry is not sure someone as good looking as Jason Rohr can really be trusted. Certainly not around his girlfriend Hortense. But Jason says he needs their help. And who can refuse Icarus?

Ages 14-16

Genre: Realistic fiction – this story has a realistic setting and characters; it uses colloquial language and irony;
Humor

Appealing aspects of this book – HS boys; HS girls; peer relationships; little man against establishment; likable protagonist; family relationships; humorous situations;

Uses for this book in schools – award books; author's stories in fiction works; mentally ill characters in fiction works; non-conformity in fiction works

Other books by this author:
The Pigman
My darling, my hamburger
Night of the bat
The gadget
Rats
Raptor

Learn more about this author through this interview: Paul Zindel at RandomHouse.com or read his article about The Pigman at The Alan Review: http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ALAN/fall94/Zindel.html

Recommendations:
Margaret A. Edwards Award, 2002