The World's Fair

Let's consider this a post-script to Dave's recent and well-received Children's Book forum, though one that stretches the boundary of a "science" posting (and calls into question my placement of it under "culture wars"). But I did post a comment at Tara's contribution to the Children's book post at Aetiology (here), though never got around to doing so here.

So Encyclopedia Brown is back and more political than you might remember, with Encyclopedia Brown And the Mysterious Presidency of George W. Bush. This is sort of an advertisement I've gotten myself into, but the material's worth it. John Warner, a friend who enjoys all the meats of our cultural stew -- not the senior senator from Virginia, mind you, although, true, this John Warner was also married to Elizabeth Taylor for a time in the '80s -- has put his keen gaze onto the ins and outs of the Bush Administration. You can preorder it next week, but it doesn't come out till September.

Although I have no idea if the following is actually in the forthcoming book, here's a sampler from "Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Supreme Court Showdown" :

IN THE BROWNS' GARAGE, Encyclopedia and Sally cowered behind the family station wagon, trying not to make a sound. Outside, Justice Antonin Scalia hammered at the garage door with his meaty fist.

"Encyclopedia no está aquí," Encyclopedia said in a high-pitched and unconvincing Spanish accent.

"We need your help," shouted Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "We have a case that calls into question the fundamental principle of checks and balances." Justice Ginsburg is a liberal jurist who looks something like a plankton-eating deep-sea creature.

Reluctantly, Encyclopedia opened the door and let the Supreme Court in. Justice Clarence Thomas presented him with a stack of legal papers labeled Bush v. Gore et al. Thomas said nothing, as is his custom.

Encyclopedia frowned as he flipped through the briefs. "The language is obtuse and the arguments unsatisfactory and self-serving," he commented.

"Precisely why we need your help," Chief Justice Rehnquist said. "We can't make heads or tails of this stuff."

Encyclopedia sighed heavily. "Well, I'd better get to work. Can you keep our distinguished jurists busy, Sally?"

"Come on, gang," Sally said, clapping her hands excitedly. "Everyone out on the driveway for double dutch!"

(ooh, please, continue...)
(or, no no, how about this: "Show me more")