Chocolate Kid

This is a novel about Kannapolis Isenbutter Druesdorph (K.D.), "The Kid," a child prodigy, who is a genius at many things, but mainly baking, math, and general enthusiasm. He comes to stay with his uncle for a couple of weeks and is adopted by the young people of the town (the Friends) who are something of a gang unto themselves, with a spectacular clubhouse where they regularly hang out. The Friends play golf, tennis, and football; they fish and they bike; they hold elaborate parties and events; they read, watch movies, and play board games, all together. Although younger than most of them, KD is adored by all. One day, he goes to the bank with his uncle where two bungling robbers we've been tracking stage a heist and take KD as hostage. The second part of the novel unfolds mainly with KD and the two nitwit thieves, who are mostly lovable and are susceptible to KD's charms and to his subterfuge that ultimately undermines their robbery. This is a young person's novel in the vein of older Disney movies from the 60s and 70s, full of goodwill, odd characters, high adventure, and good old American know-how and gumption triumphing in the end. It's a sort of fantasia on childhood from another era, with the independent and free-spirited life the children mainly lead. With their clubhouse, good spirits, adventure, interest in all things from sports and outdoors to reading to high jinx, there is no sense of meanness or jealousy or sexual tension amongst the children, although the roles are still quite gendered (girls tend to cook, clean and make rules for the boys, who play football, golf, fish, and paint and fix things). Although clearly set in current time (with references to cellphones, etc.) it reads like a book from another time. It's something of a combination of Dr. Seuss and Broadway musical that uses colorful, poetic and unusual verbs for describing speech. The names of people and places, some of the language that is used, and the descriptions of people and places are quite outrageous and comical, making the whole thing something of a lark.