Rooster, a teenager failing high-school, squeezed by his formidable principal to take a job monitoring a local developmentally-disabled-adult bowling team, stumbles onto lanes of personal maturity and grown-up friendship. Trembath's Rooster Cobb is self-centered, irresponsible, and only going toward wherever wisenheimers roll down to in life. He's also funny, humane, and a credible character and, like the high-school-centered adults who invest exasperated faith in him, the reader can not help liking Rooster as he discovers himself more capable of adulthood than he thought. "Rooster", the novella, goes about the same. It stays wry and resits getting too depressing, but I could not resist its genuineness, humor, and the likability of its story. I have one gripe, there is not enough bowling action, no bowling climax or grand bowling metaphor. But I think cynical, Roosterite young adults, and adult readers who once were disconnected Roosters too, will be charmed. ( )

The all-important high school graduation deadline is quickly approaching for Rooster Cobb. He’s not too worried about it though. Every other year, he has always managed to bring his grades up during finals so that he can pass. He’s sure he can pull it off again but the adults around him are worried that he may have waited too long this time and, even more importantly, what is he going to do after graduation? The principal and a young school psychologist coerce him into taking on a community project to benefit both he and the mentally handicapped adults he will be helping. His challenge is to get a group of four bowlers, called the Strikers, from a local group home ready to participate in the Special Olympics. Several people think he won’t succeed but a few believe in him. A challenge from a fellow classmate and a tragedy among the bowlers, firms his resolve and Rooster finally begins to grow up.
One of the popular ORCA series of books for reluctant readers, Rooster will appeal to older readers who read below grade level. They will be able to identify with the “I don’t care” attitude Rooster has about school and with the authority figures who are telling him that they know what’s best for him. Using bowling and a main character whose hidden talent is creative writing to attract these readers seems a bit risky but the prose is engaging and not difficult to comprehend. If they will begin the book by reading the first ten pages, they will probably finish it. A good if not wholly believable story, this title would be a responsible purchase for a high school library. Grades 9-12. ( )