Book Review: Slider by Pete Hautman

Posted on April 30, 2024 at 6:21 am by Gene Ambaum

Slider by Pete Hautman. Candlewick, 2018. 9781536204322. 278pp. plus a discussion guide.

David did something idiotic with his mother’s credit card, without permission, and before she finds out he needs lots of money to take care of the problem. His one hope: winning the Super Pigorino Bowl pizza-eating contest. He can put away a lot of pizza, so he has a chance. But standing in his way is at least one professional eater, plus the fact that David can’t afford the entry fee. His friends HeyMan and Cyn (who seem to be becoming more than friends) help with the latter. Getting his parents to agree to let him compete is harder, but the solution to that has something to do with his brother, Mal, whose only word is, “Okay.”

The book is fun because of David’s competitive eating obsession, his flaws, and his desire to fix things; the whole situation is constantly about to blow up in his face. I’m passing this book to a middle schooler who shares my sense of humor.

Reading this was a little emotional for me — when I opened it, I realized I’ve been avoiding Slider since my friend and fellow Unshelved Book Club reviewer Dan Ritchie died years ago. We both enjoyed Hautman’s books, and I remember talking to Dan about several. I wish I was reading a review of Slider by Dan instead of writing one myself.