The Fourth Stall by Chris Rylander

 The Fourth Stall (Lexile: 760; Interest Level: Grades 3-6) is a story about a boy named Christian, but nicknamed "Mac," who runs a business of helping people.  Through a series of "trades" and "favors," he manages to get his business set up in the 4th stall of an unused school bathroom.  Students (and the occasional adult) from all over the school come to him with problems to solve, and he and his best friend Vince trade favors for solutions.  Then, one day, a kid comes in looking for protection from a bigger kid who is running a gambling business.  Mac and Vince embark on a school yard adventure that challenges their very friendship.


So, I have to admit that I thought the premise of this book was pretty fun, and I know a lot of students (and other adults) who LOVE it, but this was not one of my favorite reads.  Parts of it were really funny, especially the mention of The Godfather movie, but I found a lot of the story to be really far fetched.   I hope that when you read this book, you are one of the people who love it!

---