Darcy Miller

Recommended Ages: Gr. 3-6

Plot Summary: Margot and Mateo have the lead roles in the school play, but it seems like they may not get to star in opening night when they discover a weird leech-like thing on Mateo's back that was causing him to act violently. Thankfully, Margot used her wrestling moves to remove it and throw it in the drain right before the all school assembly. Turns out, they weren't the only ones in the bathroom--Calvin was in a stall and was too intrigued by what just happened that he totally forgot about the speech he was supposed to give. He convinced Margot to fish it out of the drain and they inspected it, googled it, and discovered others have reported similar situations. They rush to tell Mateo they need his help, and although Mateo at first says no, once they see their zombie gym teacher also has an alien on his back, Mateo realized he has no choice. Then, even worse, they identify the source of contagion and realize Mateo's dad is in danger. Ditching school despite Margot's perfect attendance record, they race to find Mateo's dad and solve this mystery. Unfortunately, they discover something even worse. Will they find Mateo's dad? Will they survive?

Setting:

Characters:
Margot - professional wrestler trained by her dad
Mateo - always wears certain clothes, puts on a persona of confidence but not everyone knows that, has a "look" he always wears
Calvin - scientist waiting eagerly for his awful boss to retire so he can take over
Chelsea - fellow cast member, wants to know what is happening but left out, follows Margot and Mateo

Recurring Themes: aliens, family, friendship, honesty, wrestling, strong girl

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: Decent amount of character development and action. I liked it.

Genre: fantasy (sci-fi?)

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Readalike: Sci-Fi Junior High, Last Kids on Earth… (mehr)

I read this book because I had read about it and that source was practically drooling over the ideas. The photos are great, the ideas are mostly good, but not always do-able. And many of her suggestions assume a larger budget than I have. She used to work for Martha Stewart (who wrote the foreword to this book) and that should tell you all you need to know. The average person isn't going to be able to recreate most of what the author suggests. But inspiration is available within the pages, and her energy and enthusiasm could be enough to motivate you. I got the book from the library, but it might be a good reference book to have on your shelf if you do a lot of entertaining.… (mehr)