Jeremy Cabbage and the Living Museum of Human Oddballs and Quadruped Delights (review)

Life at Harpwitch's Home for Mean Dogs, Ugly Cats, and Strey Children is just on the edge of bearable for eleven-year-old Jeremy, so when he gets adopted for the first time by an enormous woman who smokes two cigarettes at a time, he's up for the adventure. Unfortunately, the minions of the evil Baron, who is dedicated to stamping out all difference and dissent, burn her neighborhood because of some seditious graffiti, and he finds himself back at HHMDUCSC. Just as the Baron tries to solve his problems with ever more restrictive laws, Jeremy's life takes a turn for the better, when he is adopted by circus folk, dwellers at the titular Living Museum, who actually want a child to love rather than to use and abuse. The happiness of Jeremy's newfound family is threatened, however, as the Baron's thugs close in on the identity of the graffiti artist and attempt to seize power for themselves through his capture. In shades of Dickens and Dahl, this is a relatively straightforward fable about the abuses of power, especially when that power is conjoined with arrogance and stupidity. There are clear heroes and villains, and a sweet set of social outcasts whose physical peculiarities render them endearing and showcase the varieties of family life that are available to unprejudiced hearts. The plot moves quickly with a good deal of humor, suspense, and predictable twists, and the quirky characters are described in such a way as to encourage visualization, making this a good choice for strengthening the literacy skill sets of reluctant readers.