by Ruben Bolling ; illustrated by Ruben Bolling ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 3, 2015
A pleaser for Wimpy Kid fans as well as any students who find the last few minutes before the bell rings an eternity.
The discovery that time actually does move more slowly in the back of a classroom than in the front puts a trio of amateur sleuths on the trail of even more startling revelations.
It looks like the Exploration-Mystery-Unbelievable Club’s search for a new mystery to investigate is going nowhere, until school starts and club president Stuart’s complaint that the afternoons really seem to drag leads to a surreptitious experiment with an astonishing result. As it turns out, the maintenance closet adjacent to the back wall is a time portal, and new custodian Mr. Hartoonian is a traveler sent from the future to prevent an upcoming world war. Unfortunately, the club’s interference not only derails his mission, but leaves him stranded in this era with a broken time machine. Even with help from Stuart’s dog, Ferdinand, who is, as readers of Alien Invasion in My Backyard (2015) will know, an alien robot, getting said mission back on track and saving the Earth (once again) isn’t going to be easy. Bolling casts his officious narrator as a legend in his own mind, surrounds him with smarter allies, trucks in a particularly lamebrain bully, and presents the headlong caper as a hand-lettered “official report” on graph paper with taped-in cartoon “photographs.” An appendix offers basic information about actual emus and briefly outlines the “butterfly effect.”
A pleaser for Wimpy Kid fans as well as any students who find the last few minutes before the bell rings an eternity. (Graphic/hybrid mystery. 8-10)Pub Date: Nov. 3, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4494-5710-5
Page Count: 140
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 21, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2015
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by Ruben Bolling ; illustrated by Ruben Bolling
by Marty Kelley ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 2012
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
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by Marty Kelley ; illustrated by Marty Kelley
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by Devin Scillian ; illustrated by Marty Kelley
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by Marty Kelley ; illustrated by Marty Kelley
by Troy Cummings ; illustrated by Troy Cummings ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 1, 2013
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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by Troy Cummings ; illustrated by Troy Cummings
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by Troy Cummings ; illustrated by Troy Cummings
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by Troy Cummings ; illustrated by Troy Cummings
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