A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Austere Academy
By: Lemony Snicket
Hard Cover
HarperCollins 2000
Reading level: Ages 9-12

In the last review I droned on about how the formula that Snicket was using in all his books was getting a little tired. It seemed like it would never end. Well, I am happy to report that it finally did. Unfortunately Count Olaf is still managing to allude capture but at least in this book his approach was a little different.

In The Austere Academy the Baudelaire Orphans get shipped off to a boarding school called Prufrock Preparatory School where the school motto is " Memento Mori," remember you will die and the vice-principal is an awful violinist who favourite punishment involves cutlery. Intrigued? Well, not only do they have to indure the irrationality of Vice-pricipal Nero but they also have to put up with a bratty student named Carmelita Spats. Luckily in this book they find some friends to help them through it.

About the authour: Lemony Snicket was born before you were and likely to die before you as well. A studied expert in rhetorical analysis, Mr. Snicket has spent the last several eras researching the travails of the Baudelaire orphans. His findings are being published serially by HarperCollins.

Gigi