The 8th Continent

Gr 4–7—In this first volume of a projected series, grade school students Rick and Evie Lane are on a quest to transform the Pacific Garbage Patch into the world's eighth continent. Their father, George, once invented a formula that would turn this mass of floating plastic into fertile land, but now he only has half of the recipe. With the help of their robotic tutor, 2Tor, Rick and Evie set out to locate their father's old partner and the rest of the formula. Matters are complicated by a classmate, the pink-obsessed, plastic-loving 11-year-old "super-secret CEO" of an evil corporation. Details of the Lanes's over-the-top inventions and posh school (students sky-dive to class every day) give an excessively cartoonish feel to the book without helping to develop the plot or characters. "Science" in this science fiction is minimal, and utterly disregarded if it interferes with plot or cool gadgetry. At one point, the kids must name the four principles of aerodynamics, but no explanation is ever attempted as to how their giant sequoia hovercraft is able to stay aloft. The terraforming fluid works like magic to instantly transform plastics into mud populated with plant and animal life. The writing is frenetic, with a rapid succession of settings and dialogue that reads like a list of one-line jokes. Some reluctant readers may appreciate the zippy pace and original premise.—Rachel Anne Mencke, Al Raja School Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain