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ATTACK OF THE GIANT ROBOT CHICKENS

Name: ATTACK OF THE GIANT ROBOT CHICKENS
Author: Alex McCall
ISBN: 978-178250-008-7

by Alex McCall ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2014

Kids saving themselves from the egg-pocalypse: priceless.

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Robot chicken apocalypse...no one saw that coming!

Scottish 12-year-old Jesse’s older brother was obsessed with apocalyptic possibilities ranging from asteroids to zombies, but when the end did come, it took the form of gigantic robotic chickens that captured all the adults. Eight months into the feathery end of the world, the survivors live in isolated groups throughout the city of Aberdeen. The girl known as the Ambassador goes from group to group, trying to get them to work together. Jesse’s defense mechanism—telling really bad chicken jokes—does not make him popular with his fellow survivors, but group boss Noah trusts him. When the Ambassador arrives with information that might help them take down the oppressive poultry, Noah sends Jesse with her. The two don’t get along at first, but after a run-in with a chicken-worshiping cult and the metal overlords themselves, they form a plan. Can it succeed against laser-eyed, explosive-egg–laying robo-chickens? McCall’s debut won publication with the Kelpies Prize, which seeks new Scottish fiction for young readers. The totally foolish premise is made believable through strong writing and realistic characters. The swift pace and at-times goofy action sequences will charm readers who like their action with a few laughs.

Kids saving themselves from the egg-pocalypse: priceless. (Post-apocalyptic adventure. 8-12)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2014

ISBN: 978-178250-008-7

Page Count: 208

Publisher: Kelpies

Review Posted Online: July 16, 2014

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2014

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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JAKE THE FAKE KEEPS IT REAL

From the Jake the Fake series , Vol. 1

by Craig Robinson & Adam Mansbach ; illustrated by Keith Knight ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 28, 2017

A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid.

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Black sixth-grader Jake Liston can only play one song on the piano. He can’t read music very well, and he can’t improvise. So how did Jake get accepted to the Music and Art Academy? He faked it.

Alongside an eclectic group of academy classmates, and with advice from his best friend, Jake tries to fit in at a school where things like garbage sculpting and writing art reviews of bird poop splatter are the norm. All is well until Jake discovers that the end-of-the-semester talent show is only two weeks away, and Jake is short one very important thing…talent. Or is he? It’s up to Jake to either find the talent that lies within or embarrass himself in front of the entire school. Light and humorous, with Knight’s illustrations adding to the fun, Jake’s story will likely appeal to many middle-grade readers, especially those who might otherwise be reluctant to pick up a book. While the artsy antics may be over-the-top at times, this is a story about something that most preteens can relate to: the struggle to find your authentic self. And in a world filled with books about wanting to fit in with the athletically gifted supercliques, this novel unabashedly celebrates the artsy crowd in all of its quirky, creative glory.

A fast and funny alternative to the Wimpy Kid. (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 28, 2017

ISBN: 978-0-553-52351-5

Page Count: 144

Publisher: Crown

Review Posted Online: Dec. 5, 2016

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2016

Categories:

CHILDREN'S GENERAL CHILDREN'S

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THE SINGING ROCK & OTHER BRAND-NEW FAIRY TALES

by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer ; illustrated by Simini Blocker ‧ RELEASE DATE: June 18, 2019

Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock”...

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The theme of persistence (for better or worse) links four tales of magic, trickery, and near disasters.

Lachenmeyer freely borrows familiar folkloric elements, subjecting them to mildly comical twists. In the nearly wordless “Hip Hop Wish,” a frog inadvertently rubs a magic lamp and finds itself saddled with an importunate genie eager to shower it with inappropriate goods and riches. In the title tale, an increasingly annoyed music-hating witch transforms a persistent minstrel into a still-warbling cow, horse, sheep, goat, pig, duck, and rock in succession—then is horrified to catch herself humming a tune. Athesius the sorcerer outwits Warthius, a rival trying to steal his spells via a parrot, by casting silly ones in Ig-pay Atin-lay in the third episode, and in the finale, a painter’s repeated efforts to create a flattering portrait of an ogre king nearly get him thrown into a dungeon…until he suddenly understands what an ogre’s idea of “flattering” might be. The narratives, dialogue, and sound effects leave plenty of elbow room in Blocker’s big, brightly colored panels for the expressive animal and human(ish) figures—most of the latter being light skinned except for the golden genie, the blue ogre, and several people of color in the “Sorcerer’s New Pet.”

Alert readers will find the implicit morals: know your audience, mostly, but also never underestimate the power of “rock” music. (Graphic short stories. 8-10)