Gr 3-5-Fifth-grader Tony Madison is a magnet for trouble. Irrepressible, unstoppable, and outrageous, he is constantly thinking up ways to make it on to David Letterman's show. He has his own collection of stupid human and pet tricks that he is sure will be his ticket to New York. After trying each new prank, he writes to the talk-show host and includes a top-10 list detailing his stunts. Unfortunately, most of these exploits end up with Tony in the principal's office and his teacher, Mr. Gore, going home to change his clothes. One of his feats finally earns him the sought-after invitation (he makes the national news when he runs onto the field dressed as a bear during a professional football game). Tony, two of his friends, and Mr. Gore travel to New York City where Tony proceeds to wreak his own brand of havoc on the Big Apple. It all culminates with his arrival on Late Night escorted by Hell's Angels on motorcycles. Humorous and lighthearted with a feisty and zany main character, this book will be enjoyed by readers who like offbeat plots and nonstop wacky action.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Gr. 4-6. Fifth-grader Anthony Madison is enamored of David Letterman's Late Show0 --especially the jokes, the Top 10 Lists, and Stupid Human Tricks. Determined to appear on the show as a guest, he attempts outrageous acts, including getting his foot stuck in a toilet, starting a food fight in the cafeteria, and photocopying his bare bottom in the teachers' workroom. After he creates a disturbance at a professional football game (he steals the ball and runs for a touchdown in a bear costume), Letterman invites him on the show, and the trip to New York, accompanied by two friends and his teacher, proves to be just as over-the-top as Tony's life back home. Derby's characters are long on high jinks and short on introspection; indeed, Tony's lack of growth will probably grate on most adults. Kids, however, are likely to admire Tony's audacity, even as they realize that no real kid could ever pull off the stunts. A quick, fun read that will appeal to would-be show-offs everywhere. --Kay Weisman Copyright 2005 Booklist

Tony Baloney regularly sends ""top ten lists"" to David Letterman, describing his escapades. (Tony has a knack for getting in trouble.) Finally, Letterman calls and Tony goes to New York City for the show and a whole new set of disasters. This slapstick, fast-paced novel is over-the-top and sometimes presses its jokes too hard, but it is funny. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Fifth-grader Anthony "Tony Baloney" Madison's greatest desire is to be on the Late Show with David Letterman. He writes Letterman about his adventures and suggests Top Ten Lists. Tony devises a stupid human trick: jumping rope while standing on a toilet. He gets his foot stuck, and the rescue squad has to come free him. He devises a stupid pet trick involving his dog Meatball, a blindfold, and a trampoline. Meatball ends up in the fish tank. Tony mimics every crazy stunt he sees Letterman's guests pull until he finally grabs national attention by disrupting a Colts/Jets game while dressed in a bear suit. The resulting trip to New York to meet his idol goes wackily awry. While Tony's exploits might sound entertaining, their extent and their results, as well as the mild reactions of his friends and parents, will strain the most forgiving reader's credulity. Readers will wonder why he wasn't expelled for his first stunt, let alone the third or fourth. In a school where students have nicknames that rhyme their first names with their main character traits--e.g., Crazy Daisy and Mean Dean--Tony Baloney lives up to his name: He and his story are nonsense. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.