Reeve and McIntyre have another "not-so-impossible tale" hot on the heels of Oliver and the Seawigs (2014). This tells the story of 10-year-old Astra, who is moving with her family to Nova Mundi, a world so far away that it will take 199 years to reach. Don't worry, the ship has special sleeping pods to keep everyone from aging. In need of a prestasis snack, Astra asks the Nom-o-Tron 9000 Food Synthesizer for "the most amazing, super-fantastic cake ever! . . . the ultimate cake!" Much to her surprise, the Nom-o-Tron begins producing highly evolved, aggressive cakes that take over the ship. With the help of a robot named Pilbeam, Astra attempts to regain control of the ship, defeat the cakes, and hold off the marauding Poglites, who want to scavenge the ship for spoons. Silly? Sure. Well written and illustrated to great comedic effect? Absolutely. Words and graphics work in tandem to spin a goofy yarn that will appeal to reluctant and strong chapter-book readers alike.

Gr 2-5 Ten-year-old Astra and her family are moving to a whole new planet, aptly named Nova Mundi. Since it takes 199 years to get there, the space travelers will be frozen in sleeping pods. Astra's skepticaland hungry! She decides that she needs a snack before going into hibernation, so she asks the ship's super computer robot, Nom-O-Tron, to make her the "ultimate cakeso delicious it's scary." The robot goes to work, but the girl's parents put her into her sleeping pod before any cake is produced. When Astra wakes up early, she discovers that Nom-O-Tron has made decidedly scary cupcakes that seem to be eating anything they can find. Can Astra and her robot sidekick Pilbeam save the ship? Add some otherworldly pirates and a slithery, creepy alien called the Nameless Horror, and you have a wacky and fast-moving, if somewhat outlandish, adventure. While the full-color cartoon illustrations can seem like something from The Jetsons , that won't matter to budding readers ready to step up to chapter books. Underlying lessons about not judging by appearances and being careful what you ask for contribute to a happy ending with some sci-fi fun along the way. VERDICT An out-of-this-world choice to read alone or read aloud. Katherine Koenig, The Ellis School, PA