Rupert Piper and Megan, the Valuable Girl

Rupert Piper and Megan, the Valuable Girl by Ethelyn M. Parkinson (1972). The fifth or so Rupert Piper book—and my favorite so far. All Ethelyn M. Parkinson books are a little weird—which is why I like them so much—but this one gets a little weirder yet, and more involved, as well. It’s basically a small-town comedy with Rupert Piper and his close friends, four other guys, at the center. The overarching story is that they have reason to believe a Hollywood scout might be visiting in order to find a “typical” American small town for a movie production. Naturally, this has everyone in town acting crazy all summer—suspecting that every newcomer is the talent scout. Meanwhile, there’s a new kid, a girl their age, Megan, who is possibly moving there with her father (her mother has passed away). The boys’ mothers put pressure on them to befriend the new girl, and they soon find out she has a special skill—an advanced intuition that makes her more perceptive than the boys, or any of the adults, really. It’s fascinating when she explains how she developed the skill—and it’s implied that it came about as a kind of coping mechanism for a life that’s been somewhat challenging. So, this setup takes us through the whole book—with lots of pretty intense adventures—it even includes a tornado, and other things I won’t give away. As with all of Ethelyn M. Parkinson books, the real charm lies in the details, the odd references, and her singular sense of humor—all of which only gets better as you read more of her books. There is no one else like her—I mean, in the details, the tone, and the particular charm and odd humor that is her own. She remains my favorite children’s author—and I still have a few of her books to read.