Fourth and Ape

The Field Goal Kicker with the Secret Gorilla Leg

On a zoo sleepover, Ivan Zelinka gets mixed up with a couple of semi-mad scientists who inject his leg with top-secret gorilla serum. Soon the muscles on his right leg are bulging and his skin is covered with thick black hair. Most high school students would be horrified by such a transformation.

But did I tell you that he's the place kicker on his high school football team?

Horror gives way to delight as Ivan finds himself booting fifty-yard field goals and punting the ball into the stratosphere. The Bulldogs are winning for the first time in their history. Ivan's dating the adorable Kipper Swanson. And the fans love him. He's even got his own cheer, which fans chant when he lines up to kick: "Super Booter, Super Booter, ooh, aah!"

But on the flip side, he's worried about turning into a full-fledged gorilla. Goodbye, Super Booter. Hello, Gorilla Boy. And the scientist who's supposed to be working on a cure is a behemoth named Elko. When Elko's not threatening to crush someone into a ball or spray them with his personal blend of knockout gas, he's betting on football - including Ivan's high school games. By the big game, Ivan must decide whether to fully transform himself into Super Booter or return to being plain old Ivan.

Super Booty is a great read for anyone who has fantasized about having superpowers or simply loves a funny story.