The Worst Class Trip Ever

The Worst Class Trip Ever
Dave Barry
Hyperion/Disney, 2015 214 pages
Grades 4-6
Mystery/Humor

A typical eighth grade class trip to Washington DC goes array for narrator Wyatt and his best friend Matt. On the flight they encounter two strange men from a strange land who have an unrecognizable devise that they fear will blow up the plane. After causing a ruckus the men are proven innocent, yet Matt takes the device secretly. Imagine Wyatt's surprise to discover that the weird guys are following them. They must stay a step ahead of them. Once Matt is kidnapped as ransom for the device, their roommates and Wyatt's crush Suzana get involved. Using ingenuity and depending on the flakiness of their chaperones, Matt is tracked down--only to lose both the device and another member of their party. They now must rescue their missing friend and stop the bad guys from blowing up the White House. It’s hard to protect the president when you are just a kid and the adults around you don't take you seriously. It is up to Wyatt and his pals to save the day, which they do in a most unconventional and hilarious manner. Twists and surprises abound as the situation turns out to not be as the young people initially thought.

Famous writer and humorist, Dave Barry, turns his skills to penning a children's novel, turning a traditional class trip to Washington DC on its ear. Part mystery, part adventure story, and always funny Barry will entertain readers and keep them turning pages. The writing is snappy and often in dialog, making it quick to get through. The bad guys are from a fictional country called "Gadakistan", allowing for a traditional cold war era espionage vibe, with a bit of Home Alone type antics thrown in. The mystery involves finding out who the bad guys actually are, figuring out what they are up to, and tracking down the missing friends. Barry presents all of the adults in the story as bumbling. The chaperones are so incompetent that they are easily fooled and our heroes have the run of the city. As readers run around Washington hunting down clues with Wyatt and his pals they learn a bit about our nation’s capital along the way. There is a bit of innocent romance as Wyatt has a crush on Suzana and often falls apart while talking to her. A brief epilogue at the end shows Suzana agreeing to go to the eighth grade dance with Wyatt and kissing him, which although innocent seems unnecessary and doesn't ring true to the rest of the book. Although the characters are not particularly developed, kids will relate to Wyatt, who is short and considers himself a nerd and will rejoice when he saves the day. All readers will enjoy this book and I plan on using it in my book discussion group next year. Fans can turn to the sequel The Worst Night Ever if they want to continue the madcap adventures of Wyatt and his friends.