The Robot Olympics

August 14, 2006
Featuring a special introductory price, this tale launches the Tom Swift, Young Inventor series with a splash. Immediately plunging readers into the action, the narrative opens as Tom and his two best friends sneak into an aquarium to test the clever boy's latest invention, a shark-repelling zapper imbedded in a diving suit. Though the mechanism shorts out while Tom's swimming in the shark tank, the lad escapes and is determined to try out the zapper in "real-life, deep-ocean conditions." He hopes he'll have his chance when he accompanies his scientist father on a research vessel. Fearful that a recent undersea earthquake will be followed by others that could trigger a tsunami, the man plans to deploy seismic sensors on the ocean's floor that will act as a warning system. While Tom's father descends in a small submarine to accomplish this, a massive underwater quake occurs, leaving the vehicle buried under volcanic boulders. Predictably, Tom springs into action and, aided by one of his inventions, his nifty diving suit, some quick thinking and a boatload of luck. He pilots another sub and manages to save his father with just minutes to spare before their air supplies run out. Tom's superhero antics may stretch credibility, but the tale consistently moves at a—well, swift—pace, and kids will find this an undersea journey worth taking. Tom faces his next challenge in The Robot Olympics
($4.99; 1-4169-1361-0), due out the same month. Ages 8-12.