The tour is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Amberjack Publishing.
Sometimes it's a challenge to get into the minds of middle-grade readers, but Eric Bower has succeeded in this book about W.B. (Waldo) Baron, a middle-grade boy who has started a new school year in the classroom corner wearing a dunce cap. He has just read some of his summertime adventures to his class, and his teacher is convinced he's lying.
Only those of us who have read this whole story realize that no matter the outrageous shenanigans W.B. told, it is true life for a young boy. At first, I too wondered how a boy whose family lives in the horse-drawn carriage age, whose parents, world-class inventors, can possibly already be "flying" an Air Oh! plane, shrinking things, and using a submarine to find treasure with a pirate's curse? Then I believe I understood. Young readers' inner imaginations are like this. They wish they could have these crazy adventures instead of their often-boring daily lives of school and soccer, music lessons and home. Yes, a good life, but not even close to as exciting as Waldo's.
In the corner, Waldo manages to whisper about his summer to a group of mice, also in a corner home and we readers get to listen, too. There are those unique inventions (a steam-powered submarine!), secret meetings, and a rude monkey one this journey.
The family is on a mission to find a hidden pirate treasure for the U.S. vice-president who claims he needs it to save the country. Along the way, there are funny bits that help readers see Waldo as some part of themselves. He is clumsy, he's always hungry, and he uses words that he really doesn't understand, but serves them up in order to be seen as smart. He doesn't always get good attention yet when he does, he becomes a hero. Isn't that every child's dream?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Eric Bower is the author of The Bizarre Baron Inventions series. He was born in Denville, New Jersey, an event of which he has little recollection, yet the people who were there have repeatedly assured him that it happened. He currently lives in Pasadena, California. His favorite type of pasta is cavatappi, his favorite movie is The Palm Beach Story, and he is the proud recipient of a “Beanology Degree” from Jelly Belly University in Fairfield, California. His wife and family have told him that the degree is nothing to be proud of, since “It’s not a real degree. You know that . . . Right?” and “Eric, they literally give them to everyone who visits the Jelly Belly factory,” but he knows that they’re all just jealous.OFFICIAL LINKS
TOUR SCHEDULE
I would love to read this book. I'm working on an MG novel and am using new published MG novels as mentor texts. I love Teacherdance blog. It's my favorite!
ReplyDeleteSue
Thank you, Susan for the compliment. I hope you follow me! Best wishes on the giveaway and on your writing! This book was lots of fun to read!
DeleteThanks for the giveaway opportunity. My grandson would love this.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
Terrific. I hope he does, and best wishes for winning!
DeleteHow fun! Looks like a great adventure for MG readers. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Linda. Yes, it is a great read for the middle readers!
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