The Rendering

December 1, 2011

Gr 5-7-Tron meets Indiana Jones, with a side of super heroic CyberSkunks, in this very cinematic tale. Thirteen-year-old Doug Solomon (aka Bug) is a wanted criminal accused of killing his scientist aunt. Of course, that's not what actually happened, as he relates in his engaging blog. An over-the-top evil genius (given to statements such as "You'll see-all you meatpeople, you'll see what true genius is!") and his henchman and band of cyberdroids have transformed Doug's Auntie M into a powerful computer program with plans to do the same to the whole world. Bug must rescue her with the help of three former skunks who have been changed into human-size, wise-cracking, super-heroic refugees from various video games, and his loyal best friend, Jamie. Bug is Every Kid, except for the fact that electronic devices often go kablooey when he's in the vicinity. His actions and interactions are absolutely dead-on. Jamie and Auntie M are also well done, and the skunks are a total hoot. Reluctant readers will find the story accessible, with largish type, creative use of fonts for dramatic effect, and video-game references galore. The pace is fast, the action nonstop, and the stage is set for what should prove to be a fun series.-Mara Alpert, Los Angeles Public Library

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