As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth by Lynne Rae Perkins

I'll admit that I was browsing through the bookstore and picked this one up because the cover looked interesting.  I guess sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.  AEAFOTFOTE (the title is even long when abbreviated!) started off slow and seemed like it was going to be utterly boring, but it turned out to be a great book.  To be honest, it's not for everyone--it's not an action-packed adventure or vampire romance or middle school collective of awkward moments and fart jokes.  This book is more of a comedy of errors in which everything that can go wrong can go wrong; the cast of characters is a quirky band of misfits that helps the main character find his way back home.  

Title:  As Easy as Falling Off the Face of the Earth

Author:  Lynne Rae Perkins

Pages: 368

Publisher:  Greenwillow Books

ISBN:  9780061870903

Publication Date:  April 27, 2010
AR Levels:  Interest Level--6th+; Book Level--5.0; Points--9.0

Goodreads Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7045236-as-easy-as-falling-off-the-face-of-the-earth

In a nutshell: Sixteen-year old Ry is making the journey from Wisconsin by train to his summer camp destination on the west coast.  He finds out around Montana that camp is cancelled, and when he leaves the train to make a phone call, the train leaves without him.  After wandering around Montana for a while, he meets Del and they embark on a journey to get him back to Wisconsin and ultimately to find his parents in the Caribbean.  Along the way, they meet a random assortment of people who "help" them reach their destination and learn about themselves.  It's not laugh-out-loud or slapstick funny, but it's funny in its own special way.

I'd recommend it for grades: 7-12+ (adults would love this book, too!)

I'd recommend it to:  anyone who likes a good book about a journey and anyone who appreciates finding the humor in normal life situations.

What I liked most about this book:  It's not very likely that all of these events would happen to one person, but the book doesn't read too far fetched.  I also appreciated that it's not crude or obnoxious.  

Single favorite moment (without getting spoiler-y):  At one point on the journey, Ry and Del catch a ride from an elderly man who doesn't see well or have feeling in his legs; he's a terrible driver who can't see out the window of the car, causing him to drive like Mr. Magoo.

Star rating (where 5 stars is awesome and 0 stars is atrocious): 4 stars.  This would make a great movie.