Janet L. Rose (Children's Literature)
Willy spends the summer with his Aunt Bridget. While she makes gorilla costumes for the local production, Willy meets the characters that live around Gill Park--Mitch who lives in a tree, the rebellious Liesl who wants to be adopted and accepted by a "normal" family, Belle Vera, the eccentric French teacher who takes care of Liesl, and Mr. Pettingill, the park owner who pipes music over loudspeakers into the park. Mr. Pettingill is also Liesl's guardian and feels he has failed her when she doesn't learn to read and wants to attend a regular school. He goes into hiding and let's his evil lawyer arrange for Liesl's adoption and to sell the park. Willy and his friends are devastated and work to find a way to save the park. Willy learns where Mr. Pettingill is hiding and that the lawyer is scheming to turn the park into a mall. Mr. Pettingill returns home, lets Mitch adopt Liesl, and once again pipes music into the park. The lawyer is definitely the villain in this melodrama and the damsels in distress (both Liesl and the park) are saved by the hero, Willy. 2003, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Sylvia Marantz (Children's Literature)
In the summer before seventh grade, Willy's Aunt Bridget invites him to join her in the big city for a most unconventional summer adventure. His aunt, who lives alone since the recent death of her husband, is a costume maker, currently working away on 30 gorilla costumes. Willy immediately becomes involved with a group of unusual characters of all ages. Although Willy detests baseball, he is persuaded by Gareth to join the ball team he is coaching. He also becomes a friend of Liesl, a fellow ball player and orphan connected with eccentric millionaire recluse Otto Pettingill. Otto has been broadcasting music into Gill Park, the center of much of the action of the story. Other strong and unusual adult characters crowd the scene as the children plot together to avoid both Liesl's adoption by a family she dislikes and the loss of their beloved park to scheming developers. There is plenty of action along with humor as their adventure reaches its climax. Willy has grown in more than size by the time his parents surprise him by turning up for his ball game. Amusing quotes and sketches introduce each chapter. 2003, Holiday House, $16.95. Ages 8 to 12.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 9))
Willy's aunt, a costumer, invites him to her city apartment for the summer as she sews 30 gorilla costumes. The apartment is adjacent to Gill Park, owned by eccentric millionaire musician, Otto Pettingill. Willy believes that the owner's music, amplified throughout the park, gives the space a special energy that turns the shy and uncoordinated seventh-grader into a baseball player, improves his violin playing, and allows him to befriend many unusual people who live around the park, including Mr. Pettingill. When he discovers a plan to sell the park, Willy and his friends outsmart Pettingill's sleazy lawyer and save it from development. At this feel-good point, Gordon could have stopped. But she makes the plot overly long by further developing certain strands: baseball, friendship, self-esteem, dealing with death, anti-smoking, and young people's relationships with adults. The story has many light-hearted, playful, but sometimes illogical elements: for example, Willy inherits the valuable Gill Park upon the death of Mr. Pettingill. All in all, this offers good, clean fun, a rare commodity in many contemporary middle-grade novels. 2003, Holiday House, $16.95. Category: Fiction. Ages 9 to 12. © 2003 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Fall 2003)
While spending the summer with his aunt, Willy Wilson becomes involved with a unique group of characters whose lives intersect at the local park. Unfortunately, the park's existence is threatened when the owner is manipulated by his oily attorney. Though the park issue is resolved two-thirds into the book, Gordon's likable characters, warm storytelling, and humor keep the reader's interest. Category: Intermediate Fiction. 2003, Holiday, 247pp, $16.95. Ages 9 to 12. Rating: 3: Recommended, satisfactory in style, content, and/or illustration.

Virginia Gleaton (The Lorgnette - Heart of Texas Reviews (Vol. 16, No. 4))
A young boy, Willy Wilson, is sent to spend the summer with his aunt, whom his parents think is a little eccentric. She makes costumes for theatrical productions. Her husband has recently died, so the parents think this visit would be good for all concerned. When Willie gets there, it is with much apprehension because he hardly knows her. He finds he loves it. His aunt lives in an apartment overlooking a park. Of course, Willie meets and makes friends with all kinds of people, which is very unusual for him. All of the characters he meets are written into the book in a very clever manner. Students will find this book much to their liking. This book was selected for the Texas Bluebonnet Master List for 2004-2005. The only problem is that it is fairly long, and it will take a good reader to stick with it, but when he/she does, they will be glad. It is a very entertaining story. Fiction. n/a. 2003, Holiday House, 247p., $16.95.