Copyright Date:
2021
Edition Date:
2020
Release Date:
10/05/21
Pages:
291 pages
ISBN:
1-534-46766-1
ISBN 13:
978-1-534-46766-8
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2020009407
Dimensions:
22 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
(Fri May 27 00:00:00 CDT 2022)
A reluctant reader reveals the enigmatic author behind a hit book series.From C.S. Lewis to N.K. Jemisin, fantastic fiction is littered with authors known by their initials-but there's none as mysterious as R.R. Knight, author of Gerald in the Warlock's Weir. With quick-witted, fast-paced narration, Alex Harmon reveals the real-world story behind the literary sensation. Although Aunt Caroline and her wife, Lulu, are expecting, Caroline hopes to bring another bundle of joy into the world: her debut children's book. When she offers Alex $10 to beat it to a pulp, he finds the story dull (despite featuring a prizewinning zucchini), suggests Caroline liven it up, and accidentally begins contributing ideas. Due to a self-perceived paucity of imagination, he comes to rely on a series of stunts that inform his continued suggestions. These antics spark a creative partnership that soon includes his best friends, Javier, keen cinematographer, and Marta, who is always up for a stunt; precocious but trouble-prone little brother, Alvin; a merry band of elders at the local senior center; and a mysterious, potentially spectral "ghost writer" who begins writing Alex and his friends into the story. Can Alex coax Caroline into creating the sort of book he would want to read without hurting himself-or anybody else? Most characters default to White; Javier's and Marta's names cue them as Latinx.A daring dose of humor, metafiction, and pardonable pandering to nonreaders and librarians alike. (Humorous fiction. 8-12)
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Kirkus Reviews
(Fri May 27 00:00:00 CDT 2022)
A young boy attempts to transform his aunt’s boring children’s book into an exciting one in this funny, fast-paced adventure perfect for fans of the Book Scavenger series!
Books aren’t supposed to be dangerous. Are they?
Alex Harmon prefers running over sitting still reading. But when his aunt offers to pay him to point out the boring parts in her children’s book, he figures it’s an easy way to make ten bucks. The problem is that her book is about a grumpy frog and a prize-winning zucchini. It doesn’t have only a few boring pages…the whole thing is a lost cause.
Alex gives his aunt some ideas to help her out—like adding danger and suspense. But books can’t just be interesting. They also have to be believable. Soon Alex recruits his friends to help him act out scenes so he can describe all the important details. He’s even getting plot twists from a mysterious stranger (who might also be a ghost). Too late, Alex discovers that being a real-life stunt double for a fictional character can land you in terrible trouble—even if your friends are laughing their heads off!