Canned

by Alex Shearer
PRMS paperback 237 pages
genre: YA mystery

What an odd book. Written by a Brit, I love the language differences - taking things to the "dip" rather than the dump, a grocery trolley rather than cart, . . . Fergal Bamfield is a strange boy. He doesn't really have friends, but he does have a reputation for being clever. When he starts collecting cans (unlabeled, sealed, bargain-bin cans), his parents tolerate it for a while. But when he finds some strange things in a few cans, he doesn't share it with his parents. Or the police. Enter Charlotte, another strange child with a can-collecting hobby.

It will be interesting to hear what my sixth grade book club thinks of this one. I enjoyed it but didn't love it.