Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys

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With their parents away, four young people form a rock band that becomes wildly popular, carrying them into a "freer" life than they can cope with.From Publishers WeeklyFans of Weetzie Bat and Witch Baby will be delighted with this latest opportunity to reenter Block's magical vision of Los Angeles. With the grown-ups who make up the Bat household off making a film in South America, Cherokee and her "almost-sister" Witch Baby are left to their own devices. The adventure begins when Cherokee, acting on the advice of the family's mystic friend Coyote, makes a pair of wings for Witch Baby in order to lift her from the deep, mud-eating gloom into which she has fallen. Raphael and Angel Juan--the two other members of The Goat Guys, the rock band Cherokee and Witch Baby have formed--soon have magical costumes, too. But as the band's fame grows, the costumes exert a corrupting influence on the teenagers. The band's gradual immersion in sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll certainly is enthralling but many readers will be relieved when the group finally decides to abandon the dangerous activities that have clouded its members' individual roads to self-discovery. And much to her credit, Block's satisfying ending suggests that Weetzie Bat and her extended family--true to their characters--take the teenagers' experimentation and rebellion in stride. This latest effort provides yet another delicious and deeply felt trip to Block's wonderfully idiosyncratic corner of California. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. From School Library JournalGrade 8-12-- Zany characters, pop culture, the California scene, and finely crafted language combine to tell an emotionally charged story with a contemporary message. Cherokee Bat and al most-sister Witch Baby are left behind when their parents go to South America to make a film. When Witch Baby stops eating and starts withdrawing into herself, Cherokee has to save her. Nothing seems to work until Angel Juan, Witch Baby's special childhood friend, returns from Mexico. Enlisting another friend on guitar, the four start a band, the Goat Guys, but only with the help of mystical powers does it become a hit. Success, however, has a price, and every thing begins to fly apart in wild and outrageous ways. Block has once again created a brief but entertaining and involving story. Her characters are odd, but somehow enchanting. Readers come to care about them in their childlike inno cence. The story isn't didactic, but illustrates the importance of family, friends, love, caring for the natural world, and maintaining order in the spiritual world. The fairy-tale quality of the book, its contemporary scene, and its modern language will appeal to teen readers, particular ly those who have enjoyed Weetzie Bat (1989) and Witch Baby (1991, both Harper Collins) .- Gail Richmond, Point Loma High School, San DiegoCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.