Elf of Union Square by Jan Carr
An ancient, crotchety elf named Hiram and his sidekick, a Norwegian rat named Knut, conspire to drive people away from Union Square Park, while fifth-grader Jack Crain and a reporter for the New York Times, Will Manley, investigate. It was an entertaining read as it is faciniating to see how quickly people follow the herd over small things. Plus this story made me laugh as I know someone named "Will Manley" who works for the city of Tempe.