Charlie Hickle's Reaction

"Don''t even try to make me smile about this," Charlie Hickle warns his parents. They''ve just dropped a major bombshell: They''re getting a divorce -- and they expect him to be happy for them! Well, Charlie has some big news for Mom and Dad: he''s not going to let them get away with this! Instead of being cheerful, he launches a campaign to show them how he really feels. He refuses to eat this mother''s cooking. He causes trouble in school. He makes nasty remarks about his father''s shabby new apartment. But no matter what he does, his parents just don''t seem to get the picture. Isn''t it obvious they''re ruining his life?

From the Trade Paperback edition.