Benny and Babe, and: Benny and Omar (review)

Benny can't seem to catch a break: he is uprooted at the whims of his parents, his sarcastic personality doesn't seem to be winning him any friends, and his drama-obsessed younger brother always seems to be getting him in more trouble. In Benny and Omar, twelve-year-old Benny is forced to move from his native Ireland to Tunisia, a country where no one has even heard of hurling, the sport around which Benny's life revolves. After a rough start, Benny finds an ally in Omar, a homeless boy whose English is limited to television references. In Benny and Babe, Benny is back in Ireland, one year older but not much wiser, as he faces his summer home with the same cynical eye as his earlier trip, determined to dislike everyone before they can reject him. He meets his match, however, in a smart girl, Babe, who not only challenges his hurling ability but also trumps him by having a killer, one-eyed dog who can keep Benny in line. In both novels, Benny learns similar lessons about perspective: Benny's life seems rather grand compared to the orphaned Omar, whose sister languishes in an ill-equipped rehabilitation center, and losing his business opportunity (Benny and Babe sell retrieved fishing lures to tourists dumb enough to buy them) ultimately loses its sting once Benny realizes how bad the home life of his rival really is. However, both of the imports, packed with Irish colloquialisms and pitch-perfect humor, are much more memorable for the adventures and continuous scrapes in which Benny finds himself (none of which, of course, are ever his fault) than the moral growth of the protagonist. Sardonic and impulsive, Benny is easily engaging enough to appeal to Colfer's fantasy base as well as realistic- fiction fans.