Humorous with just a tinge of desperation and dejection, Rothbart delivers a collection of short stories featuring a cast of everyday small-town characters in all too surreal situations. The opening story, "Lie Big," reads as a convincing memory recalled from a page of a friend's diary where the reader discovers the heartbreaking and hilarious intricacies of a complex friendship. Another notable story, "Maggie Fever," unravels the mundane yet tragic story of a fourteen year old boy left to his own devices but manages to allow his curiosity to lead him to anonymous adoration of a stranger. Oscillating from the ordinary, the intimate, the beautiful and the unfortunate, stories in The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas will leave you hanging on and in search for more.
Recommended by Lisa, June 2007
Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Staff Picks

Rothbart has talent, but most of his efforts read like anecdotes rather than stories. In particular, more than a few of the eight entries in the book seemed to just end abruptly, as if he got tired of writing. If I had to pick favorites, I'd go with "Lie Big," "Elena," and the title story, even though it had a seriously lame ending. ( )