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BRIGHT FAMILY by Matthew Cody

BRIGHT FAMILY

From the Bright Family series, volume 1

by Matthew Cody with Carol Klio Burrell ; illustrated by Derick Brooks with Warren Wucinich

Pub Date: Sept. 7th, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5248-7079-9
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Two genius children venture into the multiverse hoping to rescue their parents.

Nia Bright, age 12, attends Morton Middle Academy, where she designs robots. Despite this impressive ability, she deems herself the failure of her supergenius family. Her 10-year-old brother, Jayden, has flunked out of several schools because none can challenge his intellect and he uses class time to design giant robots. Both are the adopted children of Banira Suzuki-Bright (the famous adventuring scientist) and Benjamin Bright (the prizewinning inventor); both crave the attention of their superstar parents. When Nia attempts to run away via their father’s dimensional portal, their parents are mistakenly sucked through instead—and both kids then go through to rescue them. While there isn’t much character development on offer, readers may delight in the various adventures the Bright kids experience as they jump their way through the multiverse attempting to rescue their parents. They help creatures and restore balance to worlds—and their family—as they make their way home. By the end of their adventure, all family members just might have a better understanding of one another and their impact on the worlds around them. Simple, realistic renderings with soft, bulbous lines create an upbeat tone, in concert with the energetic color palette and expressive faces. Nia, Jayden, and their father present Black; their mom is cued as Japanese.

Highly entertaining light fare.

(Graphic science fiction. 8-12)