A Whole Nother Story

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Dr. Cuthbert Soup

Reader: Dick Hill

Producer: Brilliance Audio

Production Year: 2010

Most of the listeners will be: 3rd through 9th grade boys and girls.

Listener's Advisory: For another narrator with personality, listen to Simon Bloom: The Gravity Keeper by Michael Reisman.

Summary: 

Mr. Cheeseman and his three children are running from the "Coats," various government and private agents who are after Mr. Cheeseman's time machine. The LVR was built by Ethan Cheeseman and his wife Olivia, who created a code for the computer that would prevent the Coats from using it. Olivia has died and Ethan only has half the code. He and the children expect to use the LVR to reunite them with Olivia, but will they be able to outrun the Coats long enough to get the time machine up and running?

My favorite passage:

The narrator runs the National Center for Unsolicited Advice and occasionally breaks up the narrative with advice on one thing or another. During one of these digressions he talks about patents. He advises that if you invent something you ought to get a patent so that no one else can steal your idea. He says that back when the wheel was invented there were no patents yet because there were no lawyers, so the idea was promptly stolen. But there were lawyers soon after that when the first person was run over by a wheel. 

What I really think:

The story is hilarious, weird, and exciting. There were a few things I worried about - for example, I can be picky about time travel, but that ended up not being an issue. (They don't actually use the LVR during the book. Or at least, we don't see where or when they end up.) 

I also wondered about the children changing their names during every move. But what about documentation supporting these name changes? Why doesn't Ethan Cheeseman change his name? I was able to let go of these issues and just enjoy the story. 

My favorite bad guy is Pavel. He is kind of loveably bad with his monkey and the monkey's goldfish and his, "very good and also not bad."

The Cheesemans meet many interesting people in their travels, but all of them seem to have a purpose, or at least the story loops back around to them. The cowboy who writes poetry later wins a contest (because of their coaching). Captain Jibby and his crew make a second appearance. Even the ghost at the bed and breakfast turns out to be prophetic. This isn't one of those books where a bunch of weird things just happen. Those books can be fun, but I like a plot arc. And as an added bonus, most people seem to be better off after meeting the Cheesemans!

The reading is excellent. I enjoyed the variety of voices for the characters. My only criticism would be that Captain Jibby sounds like he is supposed to be Scottish, but the accent goes in and out. Then we find out that Jibby, is of Viking descent. He still could be Scottish, but why do Scottish when it is a challenge? Maybe he was just supposed to sound like a pirate...

I highly recommend the book and am delighted to see that it is the first in a series! 

Simon Bloom, The Gravity Keeper

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Michael Reisman

Reader: Nicholas Hormann

Producer: Listening Library

Production Year: 2008

Most of the listeners will be: Late elementary to early middle school boys and girls.

Listener's Advisory: I know these don't need any recommendation, but in case you've only read the book, give the Harry Potter audio books a listen.

Summary:

With a pop and the lingering smell of vacuum cleaner bags space-time rips open and drops the Teacher's Edition of Physics on Simon Bloom's head. But this is no ordinary book. Simon soon discovers that by speaking formulae he can control things like gravity and friction. He shares his secret with his best friend Owen, and later with Alysha who is suddenly more interested in what they are up to than hanging out with her "cool" friends. Soon the three learn that some very powerful people are after the book and are none too pleased that Simon has it. The book is supposed to be with the Keeper of the Order of Physics, but it (The Book) is acting like Simon is the Keeper even though he is an outsider to the Knowledge Union. Can Simon and his friends save The Book from the tattooed lady and convince the Order of Physics that they're on their side?

My favorite passage:

After meeting a spy from the Order of Biology, the kids find out that Owen and Alysha can each learn a formula if Simon writes it down on a piece of paper with their name on it. Alysha chooses a formula based on her knowledge of the enemy (the people trying to steal the book). But Owen chooses a formula based on his knowledge of himself. He bemoans the fact that when faced with danger he freezes. He learns a velocity formula so he can create motion where there is none. I like that he isn't just trying to make himself more powerful physically, but also emotionally.

What I really think:

Ever since Harry Potter became a sensation reviewers have been eager to say that this series or that series will be "the next Harry Potter." (There was a review along those lines on the copy of Theodosia and Staff of Osiris I read.) However many of these books do not possess some of the key qualities that make the Harry Potter books so appealing.

Simon Bloom does.

1) Camaraderie. Simon has friends who both support him and are awesome in their own right.

2) Contemporary setting. This story takes place now. The Knowledge Union goes to great lengths not to be noticed by "outsiders."

3) Magic, but not magic because we do actually want this to be different from Harry Potter. Simon makes miraculous things happen by using science. He manipulates physical properties and has to thoroughly understand them to get a good result.

In case you couldn't tell, I give this book my seal of approval.