A credible bit of sleuthing and a spectacular escalation factor give this opener a bit of bounce.
A seemingly insignificant clue leads three young would-be detectives to mind-blowing adventures in their outwardly ordinary suburban neighborhood.
Casting about for some small mystery to solve, the Exploration-Mystery-Unbelievable Club—newly founded out of boredom by preteen Stuart, his mildly OCD best bud, Brian, and tag-along little sister, Violet—starts with a loose paint chip. In no time, they are exploring a high-tech underground lair, discovering that Stuart’s pooch, Ferdinand, isn’t at all what he seems and becoming Earth’s first line of defense against an incoming extraterrestrial fleet. Along with creating mildly fizzy chemistry for his squabbling trio, Bolling, creator of the satiric comic strip Tom the Dancing Bug, keeps the surprises coming—with occasional pauses while Brian goes off to wash his hands or practice his didgeridoo. Stuart’s matter-of-fact narrative is strewn with Violet’s cartoon “photos” of important evidence or characters posing hammily. Turning out to be cats and therefore vulnerable to Super Soaker blasts and passing balls of yarn, the aliens are driven off handily without, happily, drawing unwanted parental attention. Stuart follows up with a handy chart of ways to repulse future attacking alien animals, plus hints about upcoming episodes.
A credible bit of sleuthing and a spectacular escalation factor give this opener a bit of bounce. (Mystery/fantasy. 8-10)Pub Date: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4494-5709-9
Page Count: 112
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: Feb. 2, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
Only for the strong-stomached.
Simon's dream to win a fortune in the school talent show with his two best pals, Munch and Ralph, is thwarted by the band trio’s lack of practice.
Simon likes to speak in big words (boldfaced and defined in a lengthy glossary in the end). Munch eats anything, even boogers and turds. Everything makes Ralph sick. These three jokes are repeated ad nauseam. But the exaggeration in this first novel by picture-book writer Kelley (Twelve Terrible Things, 2008) doesn’t end with these characterizations. Everyone is a stereotype: Simon’s hated big sister, their overweight and inattentive teacher, their ancient, muffin-flinging neighbor, Mrs. Annand, and their archenemies Mike, Evil Ernie and Eviler Ernie (who actually loves to knit). Chapter by chapter, Simon describes their failed attempts to practice for the Friday night show, Mrs. Annand’s bran-muffin attacks and finally, their lame performance, dancing to a toddler’s CD. Kelley’s graphite sketches accompany each chapter. Simon, with his glasses and V-neck sweater, is easily identifiable, as are other characters. Sharp-eyed readers will notice that Munch is not the only one who gets a haircut. The concluding glossary includes example sentences but no pronunciation guides, making it less-than-useful.
Only for the strong-stomached. (Fiction. 8-10)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-8234-2606-5
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: July 24, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2012
An unusually promising series opener for proto-Goosebumps fans.
A discarded notebook with information on disquieting creatures like the Rhinoceraptor and the Forkupine isn’t the only surprise waiting in Stermont for nerdy Alexander Bopp and his oblivious dad.
As if the small town’s name, three graveyards and abandoned glue factory aren’t eerie enough, Alexander is assaulted on his first day by several of the tall, fluttering “balloon guys” commonly used by stores as attention-getters. Moreover, his new class turns out to be temporarily relocated to the local hospital’s morgue, his new teacher loudly nicknames him “Salamander Snott,” and he becomes an instant target for aptly named classmate Rip Bonkowski. The next day, things get worse. Cranking up the horrorlarity with googly eyed cartoon figures and sight gags on nearly every page, Cummings pitches his nervous but resourceful newcomer into a climactic, all-out battle with an entire army of aggressive, air-stealing bendy balloons. Happily, with help from Rip and other unlikely allies, Alexander ultimately saves Stermont from a pandemic of permanently flattened tires, pool toys and whoopee cushions.
An unusually promising series opener for proto-Goosebumps fans. (Light horror. 8-10)Pub Date: July 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-545-493222-2
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Branches/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: April 9, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2013
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