ALA Booklist (Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2015)

On a trip to Washington, D.C., four eighth-graders get tangled up in a plot to bomb the White House . . . or maybe not. One thing nerdy Wyatt does know: the two men from "Gadakistan" who sat behind him on the plane will stop at nothing cluding kidnapping get back the mysterious electronic device Wyatt's impulsive buddy Matt snatched from them. OK, one other thing w lucky is he that dazzling classmate Suzana steps away from the "Hot Girl Clot" to provide the brains, bankroll, and even the brawn for what becomes a frantic round of chases, attacks, rescues, narrow escapes, and desperate ploys? Laced with Barry's trademark zingers (pandas are "like the Kardashians of zoo animals" because they "never actually do anything except eat and poop"), the escapade culminates in a climactic melee featuring a snake, a fork, a really big kite, the president of the U.S., and video footage that boosts Wyatt's Twitter account from 2 followers to 4.7 million. Readers can only hope their own class trips turn this exhilarating. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Barry (along with Ridley Pearson) has built cred with kids thanks to the Peter and the Starcatchers series. Adults know him, too, so expect demand thanks to name recognition and plenty of buzz.

Horn Book

After an in-flight run-in with suspicious fellow passengers from fictional Gadakistan on their eighth-grade field trip to Washington, DC, Wyatt and his friends become embroiled in an international incident, the particulars of which they don't quite understand. Their over-the-top antics--combined with Barry's witty commentary through Wyatt's first-person narration--make for a zany story crafted more for outrageous humor than for believability.

School Library Journal (Fri May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2015)

Gr 5-7 On a class trip to Washington, DC, eighth grader Wyatt Palmer and his best friend Matt believe that they have uncovered a terrorist plot. The men seated behind them in the airplane are oddly protective of their luggage and spend their time during the flight studying aerial photos of the White House. During a scuffle with these passengers, Matt removes an odd device from one man's backpack. This event gets Matt and Wyatt into trouble with their teacher, not to mention a stern lecture from the Federal Air Marshal, but they figure it will be worth it if they have foiled a terrorist plot. Unfortunately, Wyatt and Matt have not seen the last of those two men. For the rest of their trip, Wyatt, Matt, and a few more of their classmates (including Wyatt's crush Suzana) avoid bad guys, sneak away from the rest of their class, and conceal the whole situation from their chaperones. If everything goes well, Wyatt can save the country and get the girlbut when has anything on this trip gone well for Wyatt? Barry's trademark humor shines in this tale of a field trip gone hilariously wrong. While Wyatt's adventures occasionally push the boundaries of credulity, his escapades are so funny that readers are likely to be forgiving. VERDICT With its wacky humor and mildly suspenseful scenarios, this appealing book will be a good fit for most libraries. Misti Tidman, Licking County Library, Newark, OH

Voice of Youth Advocates

Wyatt Palmer; his best friend, Matt; and the rest of the eighth-grade class from Culver Middle School in Miami are headed for Washington, DC. What could happen on a class trip? Apparently, many strange and funny things can happen. Two weird men sit behind Wyatt and Matt on the plane, refuse to relinquish a backpack, and look at aerial photos of the White House. There is a scuffle over the backpack, and a strange electronic device ends up in Matt's pocket. The weirdo pair follows them all over Washington, DC, tracking the teens to their hotel room and kidnapping Matt. Wyatt's dream girl gets involved and spearheads the rescue of Matt. Could there be a link between the dragon kite found at the home of the kidnappers, the strange electronic device, and an attack on the White House? Could Wyatt, his dream girl, Matt, and their hotel roommates be the only ones that know about this plan and thus, must foil it?Barry, well known for his part in the Peter and the Starcatchers series, must have been a middle-school class clown. The students' antics are slapstick, and the humor is right out of an eighth-grade mind. The adult characters are not well developed. Barry points out several times that Wyatt's mother is Cuban and very loud, which plays into a stereotype. Aside from these minor elements, this is a light, hilarious romp that will be hard to keep on the shelves.Susan Allen.