Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir (2005)

The absurd sits uncomfortably beside the everyday in Joe Meno's story collection. In ''Hold On to Your Hat,'' a man who has let his life float past literally begins to levitate. In ''A Trip to Greek Mythology Camp,'' counselors challenge a group of unpopular kids to sword fights and other mythic activities. A good number of Meno's stories feature emotionally injured children, automobile accidents, and oh so many people crying. But despite a solid core of excellent stories (''Happiness Will Be Yours'' wonderfully deals with the aftereffects of a traumatic childhood experience), Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir suffers from an excess of both overly precious children and grown-ups stuck in arrested development.