Willy Maykit in Space

December 1, 2014

Gr 2-5-Willy Maykit's father is a famous explorer who disappeared in the Amazon jungle more than a year ago. Despite that tragedy, the fourth grader wants to be as adventurous as his dad. On a class field trip to Planet Ed, he wanders off, following his father's mantra that there is always something interesting around the bend. Predictably, he and a friend get left behind when the class flees a violent storm. They wait for rescue, which comes in the form of Norp, a green-skinned alien, also left behind during his school field trip the previous week. He saves Willy and Cindy from the monsters that come out at night, but it's only the beginning of their troubles. Meanwhile, Willy's father finally breaks free from his jungle prison. With a snarky narrator, the story is funny and hackneyed in equal measure but pitch-perfect for the age group. The cartoon-style illustrations are amusing and plentiful and will attract reluctant and enthusiastic readers alike. Give this to fans of Jonny Zucker and Ned Woodman's "Max Flash" series (Lerner).-Gretchen Crowley, Alexandria City Public Libraries, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2015
Willy Maykit is not an ordinary kid. Although his scientist father was lost on an expedition to the Amazon, that hasn't blunted Willy's sense of adventure one bit. When a class field trip to Planet Ed comes up, Willy convinces his mother to put aside her worries and sign the permission slip. All goes well on the trip to the faraway planet, but Willy goes off to explore on his own, and when threatening weather leads to the hurried return of the spacecraft back to Earth, he is left behind. At first Willy believes he is the only one, but he soon discovers a green extraterrestrial named Norp along with Cindy Das (described as "the prettiest girl in class" and depicted as dark-skinned with long, dark hair; Willy is blond and fair-skinned). So the trio find themselves trying to survive attacks from huge hairy, hungry monsters (that sometimes wear sunglasses) until they are rescued. Trine keeps the outlandish plot and dialogue moving along at a speed-of-light pace. Some comic touches are employed a bit too often, such as android pilot Max's overenthusiastic responses to a few well-known knock-knock jokes. For those still appreciative of a well-placed illustration to set the scene, Burks' cartoon images won't disappoint. Readers new to chapter books and who like to laugh often will most likely find Willy's story peppered with just enough silly humor (monster poop!) to keep the pages turning. (Adventure. 7-10)

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March 15, 2015
Grades 2-4 From the author of the Melvin Beederman, Superhero books comes a fun-filled new series of exploration and humor. When Willy Maykit's fourth-grade class is given the chance to take a field trip to the solar system's newest planet, Planet Ed, Willy can't wait. As the son of a world-traveling explorer, the urge to see foreign lands is in his blood. A faster-than-light-speed flight piloted by an android named Max gets the class to Planet Ed in record time, but Willy's explorer instincts land him in trouble when he wanders off, missing the return flight home. To his relief, Willy discovers he isn't alone; a girl from his class and a friendly alien have also been stranded. The three band together to await rescue and survive the planet's dangers, namely giant, sunglasses-wearing monsters. Silliness prevails in this interplanetary adventure and will leave young readers cackling over slapstick humor and unusual characters. Cartoon spot illustrations make the book's sense of fun and adventure pop. A wacky romp.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)