FICTION

Too Much Space!

Too Much Space! 128p. S. & S./Aladdin. Mar. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781481488532; ebk. $5.99. ISBN 9781481488525.
COPY ISBN
Gr 1–4—When Bob took the test to go to Astro Elementary, a school on a space station orbiting Saturn, he never thought, and definitely never hoped, he would have a chance of getting in. Little did he know answering "C" for every question would earn him a perfect score. Now in space, Bob is tasked with recording his adventures in a series of space blogs, or splogs, to be sent to the past so readers can learn about the super-cool future. Bob is less than thrilled to be living in space, but when he rescues a lost alien who turns up at the space station door, his school experience turns around. Beep, who treats Bob like his mother, loves to eat socks and sticks close to Bob's side. But Beep, in his confused and naive way, easily gets Bob into trouble. He convinces him to lick the surface of Pluto while they are on a field trip because it tastes like an orange ice pop, sending the two into a spiral of an adventure. And all Bob wants to do is make it through the school year, and maybe get his crush Lani to like him. Roth creates many unusual space terms and infuses the story with humor and gross details that are sure to make kids giggle. Beep is a cute and fun sidekick and Bob is relatable as an average kid in a not-so-average situation. Illustrations in a simple style add to the silliness of the story.
VERDICT A strong addition to any library's chapter book selection. Offer to kids who love funny stories but may be too young for books like Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?