  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2015 Gr 3–5—The All Ball is an incredible new invention that can change from a basketball to a soccer ball (or baseball, hockey puck, or bowling ball) with just the click of a remote. Who wouldn't want one? It's the talk of the nation and possibly the world as the inventor espouses the advantages of the All Ball on national television. The inventor is Billy Sure, a young tinkerer and entrepreneur who also worries about how his fame will affect the start of seventh grade. After all, the All Ball is a device that even the school bullies own. Billy also worries about what will happen if everyone discovers he might not have actually invented the All Ball, especially now that he's committed to producing his next invention: the Sibling Silencer. This is a lightweight mystery featuring good kids, kooky inventions, and a little sibling rivalry, with black-and-white doodles throughout. VERDICT A general purchase for libraries looking for light mysteries for younger middle grade readers.—Kelly Roth, Bartow County Public Library, Cartersville, GA - Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 04/15/2015 This funny debut features likable Billy Sure, 12, entrepreneur and CEO of Sure Things, Inc. He is famous for inventing the All Ball, a spheroid that, with the touch of a remote control, instantly morphs into different sports balls of various shapes and sizes. Weary of the celebrity attention he receives at school, Billy enlists his irrepressible best friend Manny, the company’s CFO, to help create a website where kids can upload videos of their own inventions for possible development. Billy and Manny receive some very interesting ideas, including no-wash socks, a motorized bed, a pencil that does homework automatically, and the sibling silencer. Life is good, except for the fact that Billy’s haunted by a secret problem he is afraid to share with anyone. Can he solve it before it ruins everything? Sprinkled with Ross’ kidlike black-and-white illustrations, this fast-paced, wacky series opener will appeal to fans of Tommy Greenwald’s Charlie Joe Jackson series. Expect further installments to arrive fast and furiously—three more are scheduled for this year alone. - Copyright 2015 Booklist. Loading...
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