Synopses & Reviews
andquot;I never thought science could be funny . . . until I read
Frank Einstein. It will have kids laughing.andquot;
andmdash;Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid
andquot;Huge laughs and great scienceandmdash;the kind of smart, funny stuff that makes Jon Scieszka a legend.andquot;
andmdash;Mac Barnett, author ofand#160;Battle Bunny and The Terrible Two
and#160;
andldquo;Dear Frank Einstein,
Please invent time machine. Send your books back in time to me in 1978.
Also a levitating skateboard.
Tommyandrdquo;
andmdash;Tom Angleberger, The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Frank Einstein loves figuring out how the world works by creating household contraptions that are part science, part imagination, and definitely unusual. After an uneventful experiment in his garage-lab, a lightning storm and flash of electricity bring Frankandrsquo;s inventionsandmdash;the robots Klink and Klankandmdash;to life! Not exactly the ideal lab partners, the wisecracking Klink and the overly expressive Klank nonetheless help Frank attempt to perfect his Antimatter Motor . . . until Frankandrsquo;s archnemesis, T. Edison, steals Klink and Klank for his evil doomsday plan! Using real science, Jon Scieszka has created a unique world of adventure and science fictionandmdash;an irresistible chemical reaction for middle-grade readers.
STARRED REVIEW
andquot;In the final analysis, this buoyant, tongue-in-cheek celebration of the impulse to andlsquo;keep asking questions and finding your own answersandrsquo; fires on all cylinders.andquot;
--Booklist, starred review
andquot;Scieszka mixes science and silliness again to great effect.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus Reviews
andquot;In refusing to take itself too seriously, it proves that science can be as fun as it is important and useful.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;With humor, straightforward writing, tons of illustrations, and a touch of action at the end, this book is accessible and easy to read, making it an appealing choice for reluctant readers. A solid start to the series.andquot;
--School Library Journal
andquot;Kids will love Frank Einstein because even though he is a new character he will be instantly recognizable to the readers...Jon Scieszka is one of the best writers around, and I canand#39;t wait to see what he does with these fun and exciting characters.andquot;
andmdash;Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl
andquot;Jon Scieszkaand#39;s new series has the winning ingredients that link his clever brilliance in story telling with his knowledge of real science, while at the same time the content combination of fiction and non fiction appeals to the full range of the market.andquot;
andmdash;Jack Gantos, Dead End in Norvelt
Review
"...[T]he inventive details, story and made-up futuristic technology will keep pages turning." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
Michael Buckley is at his comic best in this madcap new series sure to appeal to kids looking for a quick, exciting read.
Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond-style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
Synopsis
The excitement of international espionage combined with the awkwardness of elementary makes for non-stop laughs in NERDS, the hilarious series from New York Times bestselling author Michael Buckley Meet the NERDS, a team of eleven-year-old super spies:
Duncan "Gluestick" Dewey: He's a paste-eater who can stick to walls.
Ruby "Pufferfish" Peet: Her allergies help her detect danger and dishonesty.
Heathcliff "Choppers" Hodges: He controls minds with his buckteeth.
Julio "Flinch" Escala: His hyperactivity gives him super speed and strength.
Matilda "Wheezer" Choi: Her inhalers enable her to fly and blast enemies.
Jackson "Braceface" Jones, the new recruit. This metal mouth is the team's go-to gadget guy . . . if only he can get over becoming a NERD.
Can this team of misfits save the world from their secret headquarters in the basement of their school? Can you read NERDS without laughing? Go ahead and try
Synopsis
Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero.
But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be, Scott begins to question his role. With the help of a fellow sidekick, once his nemesis, Scott must decide if growing up means being loyal or stepping boldly to the center of things. Great for boys, comics fans, and anyone looking for a superhero tale thats also an insightful look at adolescence.
Synopsis
NERDS combines all the excitement of international espionage with all the awkwardness of elementary school, and the results are hilarious. A group of unpopular fifth graders run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, they transform their nerdy qualities into incredible abilities! Their enemies? An array of James Bondand#8211;style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last. Publishers Weekly raved: and#8220;Buckley has a flair for exaggerated humor.and#8221; School Library Journal said: and#8220;Funny, clever, and thoroughly entertaining.and#8221;
Synopsis
Jacob Wonderbar must have hit a time warp on his way home after losing the election for President of the Universe, because fifty years have passed on Earth. What's worse, during that time the entire Astral society has come under threat of destruction, and it's up to Jacob to make things--including time itself--right. So, with the unlikely help of Mick Cracken, Jacob time-hops through the universe with Sarah Daisy and Dexter, encountering dinosaurs, Napoleon, and bad '80s fashion in their search for the one person who can help them--Jacob's father.
Buckle your space-belts, the third book in the Jacob Wonderbar series proves that time travel is all fun and games until someone gets stuck in the wrong century!
Synopsis
The thrilling intergalactic adventures of four kids in spaceas told by Chorkle, a hilarious alien! It all happened because of Feeneys Original Astronaut Ice Cream. Those accursed pink bars entranced me with their sugary magic! But I digress . . .
Life on Gelo was fine until the hair-headed humans” arrived. They invaded our peaceful asteroid with their loud drill machines and their endless greed, stealing our precious Iridium to take back to their weird looking blue-and-green planet.
Then the mothership took off and four little hair-heads were marooned here. Danny, Becky, Nicki, and Little Gus are actually pretty cool. They have awesome gadgets like hologram games and rocket bikes, and they can pilot starships!
But theres plenty the junior humans dont know, like how to fight a ferocious thyss-cat or ride a giant usk-lizard. Theyre decidedly terrible at dealing with my stink-gland. And they definitely dont know how to combat our terrifying rival aliens, The Vorem!
Luckily the Earthlings have me, Chorkle, and all five of my eyes to look after them.
If only I knew how to help them get back home . . .
Synopsis
The first book in aand#160;fast-paced newand#160;historical fantasyand#160;series narrated by a daring dachshund and brimming with mad science.
Synopsis
Welcome to the Amazing Automated Inn, home of twelve-year-old inventor Wally Kennewickett, his genius scientist parents, and hisand#160;dashing dog, Noodles. From the lightning harvester on the roof to the labs full of experiments in the dungeon, the inn is a wonderful place for a curious boy and his loyal dog to live. That is, until President Theodore Roosevelt himself calls the elder Kennewicketts away, leaving Wally and Noodles to face the evil Mesmers, horrible hypnotists bent on controlling the minds of powerful people. It seems the inn is their first stop on the way to world domination . . . and only an ingenious boy, a staff of automatons,and#160;and a brave dachshund stand in their way!
Synopsis
Ten-year-old George Gearingand#160;and#160;is a whiz with mechanics, butand#160;it'll take all his talent and the help of hisand#160;friendsand#160;Anne and Jackbot to save the day when all the robots in town go wild. This action-packed adventure launches a fun, futuristic newand#160;series for middle-grade readers.
Synopsis
Worker robots keep the high-tech town of Terabyte Heights humming, but ten-year-old George Gearing is the only one who has a robot for a best friend. When his scrappy but beloved pal Jackbot is hit by a car, the whiz kid re-engineers him with fancy parts from state-of-the-art TinkerTech Laboratories. Jackbotand#8217;s astounding new skills far exceed anything Georgeand#8212;or even TinkerTechand#8217;s head of roboticsand#8212;could ever have imagined. Will the villainous Dr. Micron destroy the whole town to see his tech-driven dream realized? Not if George can help it . . .
Synopsis
Michael Buckley is at his comic best in this madcap new series sure to appeal to kids looking for a quick, exciting read.
Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bondandndash;style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.
FandP level: V
Praise for NERDS
andldquo;An action-packed, tongue-in-cheek take on the world of superheroes and villains. The pacing is quick and the action is plentifulandmdash;kids will almost hear the sound effects as they read. NERDS brings a worthy message to the foreandmdash;that uncool kids can grow up to be anything but. Funny, clever, and thoroughly entertaining, this title should be popular.andrdquo;
andndash;School Library Journal
andquot;The unique format of this book, combined with the imaginative and playful storyline, will appeal to many readers.andquot;
andndash;Children's Literature
Synopsis
The grand finale to the
New York Times bestselling series,
Attack of the BULLIES stars Ruby Peet, aka Agent Pufferfish, the team captain with super nanobyte-enhanced allergies. Pufferfish leads the team in their latest case: the kidnapping of the presidents daughter. But the NERDS discover she hasnt been kidnapped—shes been recruited. Their former librarian, Ms. Holiday, has started a rival organization called BULLIES, who each have their own nanobyte-enhanced upgrades. The BULLIES plan: go back in time to make sure NERDS never existed! When Rubys teammates begin to vanish one by one, she enlists Agent Brand and Heathcliff Hodges to go back to the 1970s and help the original nerdy secret agents make sure that the future is not erased from existence!
Attack of the BULLIES promises action, humor, and a dramatic conclusion to the series.
Synopsis
A virus has infected the Arlington, Virginia, home of the NERDS headquarters, and its much worse than your run-of-the-mill flu. Instead of coughing and sneezing, the victims of this voracious virus are transformed into superintelligent criminal masterminds. Soon nearly everyone—including some of the NERDS team—is plotting to take over the world. With more people breaking out into evil cackles every day, its up to Flinch, the hyperactive superspy with a sweet tooth, to stop the virus. Flinch will have to miniaturize himself and take a fantastic voyage through supervillain Heathcliffs body to fight white blood cells, stomach acid, and a nest of nasty nanobytes in the hope that he can save the world from the Villain Virus.
Synopsis
Behind every great superhero is a very angry younger brother.
Luke Parker was just your average comic book fan until his boring, teachers pet, helps-old-ladies-across-the-street brother Zack got turned into a superhero. Luke cant believe the unfairness of it allhes the one with the encyclopedic knowledge of everything from Ant-Man to Wolverine! At least he can help Zackaka Star Guywith all the important parts of becoming a superhero, like using his newfound powers and deciding whether or not to wear a cape.
But when Star Guy gets into super-size trouble, its up to Lukeand his intrepid neighbor, Larato rescue his big brother and, with a little luck, help him save the world.
Synopsis
After the shocking ending of The Everafter War, this book, the penultimate one in the series, picks up with Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck stuck in the Book of Everafter, where all the fairy tales are stored and enchanted characters can change their destinies. The girls (and Puck) must chase the Master through a series of stories, where they're willing to change what they must in order to save their baby brother. Soon, however, they are confronted by the Editorand#8212;the book's guardianand#8212;who, along with an army of tiny monsters known as Revisers, threatens the children with dire consequences if they don't stick to the stories. As they chase their quarry and dodge the Revisers, they meet Alice, Mowgli, Jack the Giant Killer, Hansel and Gretel, the Headless Horseman, and others. But will they find their brother in time?
Synopsis
Inand#160;thisand#160;rib-tickling illustrated middle grade novel, video game obsessed Pete Watson discovers the only thingand#160;scarier thanand#160;espionage is the girl of his dreams.
Synopsis
When videogame obsessed Pete Watson discovers his dad is not only a super-spy but has been kidnapped and is now trapped inside a video game, he has to use his super gaming skills and enter the game to rescue him.and#160;and#160;Willand#160;he be able to save his friends and family and the entire worldand#160;from giant mechanical cockroaches and a massive cyber attackand#160;set to take down the world's network?and#160;and#160;And if he succeeds, who will save Pete from his massive crush on Callie Midwood?
and#160;and#160;and#160;From the comedic mind of Joe Schreiber (Lenny Cyrus School Virus, Au Revoir Crazy European Chick, Perry's Killer Playlist), comes anand#160;action-packed Alex Rider-meets-Greg Heffleyand#160;middle grade romp that grabs readers by the funny bone and doesn't let go!and#160;Illustrated throughout with black and white comic drawings byand#160;Andy Rash.
Synopsis
Batman has Robin, Wonder Woman has Wonder Girl, and Phantom Justice has Bright Boy, a.k.a. Scott Hutchinson, an ordinary schoolkid by day and a superfast, superstrong sidekick by night, fighting loyally next to his hero.
But after an embarrassing incident involving his too-tight spandex costume, plus some signs that Phantom Justice may not be the good guy he pretends to be, Scott begins to question his role. With the help of a fellow sidekick, once his nemesis, Scott must decide if growing up means being loyal or stepping boldly to the center of things.
Praise for Sidekicks
*STARRED REIVEW*
“Scotts present-tense narration keeps pedal to the metal from start to finish, and readers will be quickly won over as the two super-strong, super-fast, super-likable protagonists face both inner conflicts and a Dark Knight-ish villain as deeply psychotic and scary as he is super powerful. Look for more twists than a pretzel factory and a possible sequel.” -Kirkus Reviews, starred review
*STARRED REVIEW*
“A delightfully clever take on superheroes with this unpredictable adventure. Engaging territory as Ferraiolo reveals the storys true depths.” -Publishers Weekly, starred review
“An exciting, lightning-paced superhero plot that is also a thoughtful examination of superheroism.”
-The Bulletin of the Center for Childrens Books
“Ferraiolo starts the cape-flying action right from the opening pages. Ferraiolo is delightfully unafraid to inject irreverence into the superhero formula, adding plenty of humor to the high adventure high jinks.”
-Booklist
Video
About the Author
Joe Schreiber is the New York Times bestselling author of adult novels Death Troopers, Chasing the Dead, and Eat the Dark. His other novels for young people include, the critically acclaimed Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick, Perry's Killer Playlist,andnbsp;and Lenny Cyrus, School Virus.andnbsp;He lives in Pennsylvania with his wife and children.
Andy Rash was born on a mountain top in Tennessee, educated in the swamps of Georgia and the canyons of New York, and lives with his wife and son in Milwaukee. He has illustrated for
The New York Times,
The Wall Street Journal,
Time,
Entertainment Weekly and
The New Yorker. His children's books have received received numerous accolades, including an Amazon Editor's Choice Award and the Brown County Book Award (Indiana). Visit rashworks.com.