Pretty fun, silly, madcap adventure ( )

Not my usual kind of story but the writing was so consice and well done that it was a smooth fun read and the characters were very distince and believable. ( )

Not my usual kind of story but the writing was so consice and well done that it was a smooth fun read and the characters were very distince and believable. ( )

The universe has a plan for Jacob Wonderbar...who knew it would all begin with corndogs, men in silver suits, and substitute teachers! Jacob has a reputation, far and wide, for his ability to torment substitute teachers and this day, Jacob has a particularly weird experience. After school, Jacob and his best friends, Sarah and Dexter meet a man in a silver suit who trades his spaceship for a corndog...a corndog? YES!

The trio commandeers the airship through space causing, what is affectionately known as, the great cosmic space kapow. Parts of the galaxy have exploded and they aren't quite sure what has happened to Earth. As they travel to other planets, and meet strange, unusual but mostly friendly Astrals, the world they once knew has now expanded.

They encounter pirates, princesses, people who eat only dust, and a whole planet of substitute teachers. Finally, the meet the King of the Universe who has other plans for Jacob...just what those plans may be is a mystery to Jacob. (Do we smell a sequel?) Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow is full of humorous high-adventure, the wonders of space, and corndogs! But, mostly it is the story of how important friends are, both old and new, especially if you dare to take a trip into the galaxy and beyond!

Thank you to LibraryThing, Dial Books for Young Readers, and Nathan Bransford for this copy. ( )

I read this because I've followed Nathan's blog for years, and I couldn't not check out his first book. I guess the age range for this is 9-12? But it seems kind of juvenile for that. I'd say maybe 6-9. I can't help comparing it to Animorphs because those were my favorite when I was 9 (and they are about space and aliens also) , and the Animorph books are much more mature and complex than Jacob Wonderbar. I don't know. I guess times have changed.

The thing about this book is that I'm not sure I'd want my (hypothetical) kid to read it. I know some people think that any reading is good reading -- "So what if they're reading Twilight; at least they're reading!" -- but I'm not so sure I agree. I guess you hope such books will instill a love of reading and thus lead to more worthwhile literature. But too often, it just leads to adults who still read mostly crap. I guess I'm trying to say that by writing books specifically for children or teens that don't require much of them, it encourages them to continue taking the path of least literary resistance into adulthood. ( )