Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 12/01/2014 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 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 03/15/2015 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. - Copyright 2015 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2015 Fourth-grader Willy misses his father desperately after his pop is lost during a research trip to the Amazon, but he still really wants to be able to travel to Planet Ed on a school field trip. Mom reluctantly agrees to let another of her loved ones venture far from home, but her worst fears are realized when Willy is left behind on a faraway planet after bad weather cuts the trip short. Luckily, Willy’s not alone; he has a few strong allies including a kind, funny extraterrestrial, a schoolmate (his crush!), and an android who only recently discovered the addictive magic of knock-knock jokes (astute readers may remember their own exhausting enthusiasm upon first learning to tell jokes). Together, they fend off giant monsters and manage to keep alive until they are rescued. The pace is just right, with quick scene changes keeping things moving toward what will obviously be a happy ending. The frequent illustrations break up the text effectively and also work to present the monsters as, ultimately, ridiculous and defeatable, rather than terrifying. Dad’s parallel story takes an awkwardly colonialist turn in the descriptions of the savage dark-skinned “foothunters” of the deep jungle, but the rest of the novel is effortlessly diverse in open, friendly ways, and the two stories of bold adventurers headed back toward home are exhilarating. Readers seeking a speedy space thriller and fans of Trine’s other series will be well pleased with this outing. AS - Copyright 2015 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.