Diverse Characters – Page 13

The Last Kids on Earth and the Nightmare King

Life couldn’t get much better for 13-year-old Jack Sullivan. He eats Twinkie sandwiches for breakfast, lives in a cool treehouse, has a hoard of monster friends, and battles zombies. Jack loves his life with his friends and wouldn’t change a thing about it.

Then Jack and his friends discover they may not be the last kids on earth. When a human voice comes from a radio, everyone except for Jack is excited to discover that others have survived the zombie apocalypse. June and the others hope to be reunited with their parents, but Jack is afraid that finding others will lead to his friends forgetting about him. Jack goes on a quest to prove that their life is crazy, fun, and perfect.

As jack creates crazy fun activities for his friends, a monstrous Nightmare King hunts Jack and his friends. Jack soon learns that an ancient evil will use any method necessary to gain Jack’s loyalty and help him come into Jack’s world.

The Last Kids on Earth and The Nightmare King is another action-packed book that will keep readers entertained. New complications and new monsters are introduced to keep the plot interesting. The story shows a diverse group of friends who work together to defeat monsters. Although each character may seem stereotypical at first—the brainiac, the bully, the damsel—each character is fully developed and reveal that a person cannot be put into a category. For example, June is not a damsel in distress, but a strong girl who is capable of contributing to the group.

Although there is violence, the kids spend most of their time running from the monsters. The battle scenes contain humor and are not frightening. In the end, the story reminds readers that it often takes both kids and monsters to defeat evil.

Sexual Content

June and Jack are playing a game. June asks Jack, “Which prize would you like honey?” Jack knows she is teasing him, “but I don’t care; I like hearing her call me honey—it makes my belly region warm.”

Violence

Zombies attack the group. Dirk uses his strength to grab the zombies and “corpses catapulted.”
A King Wretch swoops and tries to grab Jack. “I smack into the street, flipping and flopping like a fish. My nose cracks against my knee, and I immediately feel blood bubbling inside my nostrils.” The monster grabs Rover, “dragging Rover across the pavement. The sound of pained scraping fills my ears while dread floods my stomach.”
A Scrapken (an octopus-like creature who lives in the junk yard) uses his tentacles to try to smash the kids. Instead, the Scrapken hits a wall and Zombies rush into the junk yard. “Thankfully, the next tentacle swing slams into a tire pile, and about nine hundred ninety-nine pounds of rubber plow into the zombies. Some are knocked aside, and others are sent pinwheeling through the air.”
In order to get away from zombies, Jack hides in a car. Before the zombies can get to Jack, the Scrapken picks up the car. “It’s chocking the metal frame like an anaconda—tightening and squeezing and crushing!” Then the Scrapken throws the car. Jack has “aches and pains and bruises, but nothing major.”
The King Wretch saves Jack from Zombies. “With one massive, snapping chomp, the King Wretch devours a dozen zombies. A simple swallow, sucking them down.” The King Wretch then grabs Jack. “His talons punch me square in the chest. I hit the cold floor and the claws tighten, digging into my shoulders. Hot saliva drips from the King Wretch’s fangs and splashes against my cheek.” The King Wretch then hypnotizes Jack.
While riding a rollercoaster, The King Wretch grabs Jack. “The flying beast snaps out with his talons, tearing into my hoodie and knocking me back.” Jack’s hoodie tears and, “I plummet downward for a short moment, and then all I feel is PAINFUL AWFUL TREE-LIM-BREAKING-SMASHING ON MY BONES!” Jacks friends come to save him and there is a battle that last over several chapters. In the end the King Wretch is eaten by the Scrapken. “Slithery serpent sounds and then, at last, the King Wretch goes silent. The Scrapken hugs him anaconda tight, squeezing, crushing, and then they disappear beneath the scrap, into the ground . . .”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Jack occasionally says “crud.”

Supernatural

The King Wretch hypnotizes Jack and gives him visions of what the future may be like. When the King Wretch looks into Jack’s eyes, “Soda bubbles in my brain. . . I feel like a tornado of terrible energy whirls past me. Through me... and then everything is altered”

Spiritual Content

None

The Friendship Code

Lucy is excited to join the new coding club at school. She wants to learn how to code so she can create an app to help her uncle who has cancer. But once coding club begins, Lucy is frustrated because she isn’t learning as quickly as she wants. To make the situation worse, Lucy is put in a group with several girls she barely knows.

Lucy finds a cryptic coding message taped to her locker. She needs help translating the messages and the only people who can help are the girls from her coding club. As Lucy tries to discover who is sending the secret messages, she learns that coding and friendship take time, dedication, and some laughs.

The Friendship Code is the first book in the Girls Who Code series. The Friendship Code is an easy-to-read, enjoyable story. Readers will relate to Lucy as she struggles to make new friends. Like many girls, Lucy is fearful that others will judge her based on her appearance, and she struggles to fix a friendship that ended because of a misunderstanding. At the end of the story, Lucy learns the importance of friends helping each other.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Lights, Music, Code!

The winter dance is right around the corner. Maya and her BFFs are in charge of coding a light display for dance. They are hoping to use their coding club skills to create a super cool display. The only problem is that Maya’s friends don’t listen to any of her ideas and don’t appreciate her efforts.

Then Maya’s old friend, Nicole, moves to town. Nicole listens to her and is always on her side—unlike Maya’s coding friends. But when Maya starts spending more time with Nicole, problems arise. Maya needs to learn that friendship—like coding—is about being honest with your friends. Will Maya learn the value of friendship before she loses her friends from coding club?

Although Lights, Music, Code is the third book in the Girls Who Code series, readers do not need to have read the previous books in order to enjoy the story. Lights, Music, Code is written from Maya’s point of view, making the story both entertaining and easy to read. Maya and her friends show that girls can care about both fashion and coding.

As Maya and her friends prepare for the dance, they discuss boys and how to act at a school dance in kid-friendly terms. Maya struggles with many common issues, including not feeling appreciated, not wanting to ask for help, and not agreeing with her mother. Lights, Music, Code entertains as it teaches valuable lessons through Maya’s struggles.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Maya’s friends kill a troll king in a video game. Her friend “brought him (the troll king) to his knees with the Unwielding Dagger. Then Nicole sliced his head off.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

Nicole calls Maya’s mother a witch.

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

A Case of the Clones

When Dr. Bunsen overhears the kids complaining about all of their chores and homework, he decides to help. He creates a set of clones to help the kids with their work. The only trouble is, he didn’t tell the kids what he had done. When the clones start causing problems, the kids aren’t sure they can keep the clones from creating more trouble.

A seriously entertaining book with a diverse cast of characters, A Case of the Clones is a perfect book for beginning readers. The story features a crazy scientist and a group of girls and boys who are not afraid to be smart. Although the parents are only shown briefly, they are portrayed in a positive light. Gabe’s mother speaks a couple sentences of Spanish. With easy to read vocabulary, short sentences, and illustrations on almost every page, the story will build a reader’s confidence.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

None

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

None

Spiritual Content

None

Classes are Canceled

Orson Eerie has a devious plan that will allow him to spread his power throughout the town. Orson causes the walls of Eerie Elementary to crumble, the floors to split, and chaos to start in the gym. When Principal Winik announces that the school is going to be torn down, it’s up to Sam and his friends to find out how to stop Orson. With the help of the class hamster Squeakers, can the kids save the school and defeat Orson?

The seventh installment of the Eerie Elementary series has all of the appeal of the previous books. Classes Are Canceled isn’t as action-packed as the previous stories, however, it is just as entertaining. The addition of Squeakers adds a humorous twist to the storyline.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. Even so, Classes Are Canceled will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Readers who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. The characters use creative problem-solving skills and work as a team to complete their mission. The story ends with discussion questions that will add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Orson Eerie is causing Eerie Elementary to crumble. Some students get trapped in the gym. “A huge chunk of ceiling crashed to the floor and blocked the exit. Everyone was trapped inside the crumbling, collapsing gymnasium. . . A basketball hoop toppled and smashed against the floorboards.” The students use dodge balls to protect themselves.
Orson Eerie attempts to control a wrecking ball and destroy the school. “The wrecking ball swung into the school and WHAM! An entire wall exploded.” The kids are able to stop him.
Orson tries to stop the kids from saving the school. “The massive wrecking ball smashed down! It was the loudest sound Sam had ever heard. Metal exploded. Electrical sparks shot out. The ball plunged through the truck.” No one is hurt.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

“Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”

Spiritual Content

None

School Freezes Over!

A terrible blizzard hits Eerie Elementary and traps all of the students inside. Icy wind howls through the halls, icicles drip from the ceiling, and living snow begins to pile up. Sam and his friends discover that mad scientist Orson Eerie has an evil plan to return in human form. Can Sam and his friends defeat Orson before he turns everyone into popsicles?

The next installment in the Eerie Elementary series, School Freezes Over! will continue to captivate readers because of its spooky, action-packed fun. Many of the pages end with cliffhangers that will make the reader want to continue reading. Black and white illustrations and onomatopoeia help create the story’s tone. The book contains simple sentence structures and an easy-to-follow plot. Like the other books in the series, School Freezes Over! is a fast-moving and fun book to read. Sam and his friends use problem-solving skills and science to defeat Orson Eerie and, in the process, show what true friendship looks like.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. However, School Freezes Over! will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Those who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. Readers will learn about several science projects and may want to research how to perform them at home. The story ends with discussion questions that add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

Orson Eerie creates a storm. “The windows all flew open at once! The blizzard stormed into the hallway! Snow filled the air, and icy water splashed down.”
A hose tugs Antonio into the bathroom. “Antonio cried out. But his shrieks were cut short with the door slammed shut. . . . Sam knew that Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing monster. To stay alive it must eat.” Antonio was turning into a “Popsicle. An ice Popsicle to chomp on.”
Huge icicles begin to crash and almost hit Sam and Lucy.
The snow comes alive. “Horrifying snow arms grew from the piles. Long, frosty fingers reached for Sam. Sam skated faster, steering into the center of the hall. Antonio and Lucy swung wildly as the monstrous hands clawed at them.”
A tornado is in the school. “The tornado was spinning and swirling down the hall. Sam wanted to just let the icy storm pass. But he knew Orson Eerie fed on students. And he knew if Orson Eerie made it to the gym, he would feast on everyone!” The friends are able to stop the tornado.

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

“Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”
Orson Eerie has devised a plan to bring himself back to life.

Spiritual Content

None

The Science Fair is Freaky!

Eerie Elementary is preparing for its first science fair in seven years. As Sam, Antonio, and Lucy try to figure out what experiment to perform, they stumble upon a strange book hidden in the library. The school comes alive and tries to snatch the book from the kids. During the science fair, the ground shakes, projects explode, and a giant volcano forms in the gym floor. How can the friends keep the book from a school that spews lava? Can they discover what secrets are hidden in the book?

Eerie Elementary is an action-packed and fun series to read. The Science Fair is Freaky! includes fun illustrations of the friends using problem-solving skills to figure out what is hidden in the strange book. The book contains simple sentence structures and an easy-to-follow plot. The abnormal occurrences in the book are exciting and contain onomatopoeias that enhance the storytelling. Although the school comes alive and tries to keep the book away from the kids, the story is spooky, but not scary.

The easy-to-follow plot is entertaining and appropriate for newly independent readers. However, The Science Fair is Freaky! will be enjoyed by older readers as well. Readers who enjoy the Notebook of Doom series will want to jump into the world of Eerie Elementary. Readers will learn about several science projects and may want to research how to perform them at home. The story ends with discussion questions that will add to the learning value of the book.

Sexual Content

None

Violence

When Sam and his friends find a strange book hidden in the library, the library attacks them. “Books leapt from the shelves! One slammed into Sam’s stomach, knocking him to the side. Another clonked Antonio in the shoulder. Lucky ducked just before an encyclopedia took her head off.”
Eerie Elementary makes the science fair projects go berserk. Then the floor turns into a volcano. “Lava bubbled from the volcano’s crater. The floorboards that formed the volcano were melting! Sam’s heart pounded.”

Drugs and Alcohol

None

Language

None

Supernatural

“Orson Eerie was a mad scientist. He was also the architect who designed Eerie Elementary almost one hundred years ago. Orson Eerie found a way to live forever—he became the school. Orson Eerie was the school, and the school was Orson Eerie! Eerie Elementary was a living, breathing thing that fed on students.”

Spiritual Content