Cheap A Whole Nother Story (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Whole Nother Story (Quality)) Discount Review Shop
With a lively spirit full of good humor, exhilarating adventure and much thoughtful advice, Dr. Cuthbert Soup narrates this quirky tale of one gifted inventor who is on the run with his family. The Cheesemans have been forced into hiding, fleeing rival spies and thugs who are all eager to get their hands on the time machine Ethan has been building. Accompanied by Pinky the psychic dog and Steve the notoriously sassy sock puppet, the family packs into their station wagon, making modifications to the device as they go.
The story begins as Ethan is nearing the end of his labor on the time machine when the Cheesemans are visited by top-secret agents who suddenly show up on their doorstep. These spies first appeal to the Cheesemans to simply hand over the device, playing the card that "it is all for the greater good" but with clearly unscrupulous motives. Ethan's wife, Olivia, courageously refuses and shuts the door in their faces, only to fall prey shortly after to an unexplained illness. Olivia's failing health prompts her to see a physician, a man who seems shady and suspicious. Sadly enough, she succumbs to her ailment quickly, leaving behind three children (Barton, Saffron and Crandall), all of whom will miss her dearly.
The tragic loss of his wife makes it all too clear that the invention has put them in peril, but it also changes Ethan's purpose as traveling back in time is now the only possible way of reuniting with her. After Pinky warns the family of more thugs on the way, they pack up and leave for good, keeping the machine safe in the back of the car. Their travels take them to many new places and homes, all of which they must leave in short time. In spite of the fact that the Cheeseman children are "smart, pleasant, witty, attractive, polite, and relatively odor free," friendship is one thing they happen to know little of, as constant traveling makes it impossible to get to know people. But they are still a happy, charming bunch who goes about life with a fresh outlook and a spirit of adventure. New friends they do make along the way, managing somehow to play as children do and to be good Samaritans whenever they can.
Two strangely appealing creatures of A WHOLE NOTHER STORY positively steal the show: Pinky and Steve, both eccentric, bona fide members of the Cheeseman clan. Pinky is a true hero, being lovable, sweet, hairless and exceptionally dependable. On top of that, Pinky is psychic --- quite a unique power in a family pet. Her ability isn't an inborn one, but obtained through a strange kind of toilet accident. After Ethan discards Olivia's stash of pills in the toilet bowl, he walks into another room. Meanwhile, Pinky slips in for a drink, but the tainted water causes a frightful fit in her. The dog seems to have gone mad, running in circles and banging her head against walls, but when she awakens, she possesses a newfound power to sense evil intentions and predict approaching danger. This turns out to be quite a useful skill in the situation that the Cheesemans have landed themselves in.
Steve, too, is a vital member of the family and seems to be the world's most sarcastic sock puppet. Conversations with Steve are often interesting and unpredictable, even more so because Crandall never takes him off. Steve is Crandall's homemade gift from his mother --- one of the few surviving mementos of her. Steve's personality, however, is quite his own and drastically different from the boy's. His snide remarks sometimes leave people surprised, but everyone considers him a separate entity. Steve is one of a kind and almost as important as the other Cheesemans.
Though Pinky is a supremely effective watchdog, the Cheesemans do become tired of running and must eventually face the spies who hunt them. They are aided by their scientific knowledge, their dedication to the power of invention, and the strength of their own family. Of course, this means that Ethan's legendary time machine will eventually be put to the test. It's a given that the device will work --- after all, Ethan is one of the world's most brilliant minds.
For young readers who enjoy wry comedy and adventure, A WHOLE NOTHER STORY is a rare find. Its tone is light and amusing, and the jokes honestly never seem to end. The main story is entertaining enough on its own, but between chapters, Dr. Soup offers curious and varied advice. He himself calls this his "unsolicited advice," and it covers a wide range of topics; these include dealing with ghosts and the dangers of technology, and even a fun recipe for squash. The type of jesting here is reminiscent of humorous authors like Lemony Snicket and Shel Silverstein. It's bound to leave you with some chuckles and more than a few smiles, and I would say that it's the perfect book for young boys, knowing that my own will surely enjoy it. There is also a satisfying, open ending, leaving the possibility for a sequel wide open. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more books from Dr. Cuthbert Soup in the future, hoping this won't be the last of the Cheesemans.
--- Reviewed by Melanie Smith
Cheap "A Whole Nother Story (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Whole Nother Story (Quality))" Discount Review Shop
"A Whole Nother Story (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Whole Nother Story (Quality))" Overview
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. The three Cheeseman children, their father, their psychic dog, and a sock puppet named Steve are all on the run. International superspies, top secret government agencies, and one genius chimpanzee all want Mr. Cheeseman's greatest invention, a time machine with unspeakable powers.
"A Whole Nother Story (Turtleback School & Library Binding Edition) (Whole Nother Story (Quality))" Specifications
Amazon Best Books of the Month, December 2009: What's a family to do when its scientist-inventor-dad builds a time machine that governments, super spies with chimpanzees, and just about every evil organization in the world want to get their hands on--at any cost? Run for their lives, of course! In the very first chapter, the recently widowed Ethan Cheeseman, and his three "smart, pleasant, witty, attractive, polite, and relatively odor free" kids are roused from their beds in the wee hours of the morning by their trusty canine alarm system--their psychic and hairless dog, Pinky. They pack up the family station wagon and head out of town, eluding the bad guys by mere seconds. In this fast-paced and very humorous adventure, the Cheeseman clan hits the highway in search of a new home where they can settle down and be a normal family (whatever that is). Along the way, they use their smarts to outwit and outpace the bad guys. Every page of this debut novel, narrated by the unusual Dr. Cuthbert Soup, is full of snappy dialogue, unexpected twists and turns, and unsolicited advice on subjects ranging from how to choose a dog to timely advice on time travel. Middle grade readers who dig the tongue-twisters, quirky villains, hilarious hijinx, and brave and brainy kids of the Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch will find lots to laugh-out-loud about in a A Whole Nother Story. --Lauren Nemroff
Customer Reviews
Quirky, Off-Beat, Funny, Original! - Yosemite Kurt - Davis, California
As a fifth grade teacher, I'm constantly on the lookout for new stories to get my students interested in reading. Well, I hit the jackpot with this one. I love exposing kids to a wide range of stories, and I really think this one is pretty original and different than most others out there. This has to be one of my favorite read-aloud books of all time, because of the wide variety of characters (and accents) I'm able to portray as we read aloud. The book contains a lot of humor that might go over some kids' heads, but there is plenty that does not. I didn't really know what to expect, and I liked it that way. The story has a great pay-off and yes, it leads to a sequel. But my class was unanimous in their approval of this story and groaned every day when I had to stop. If you want a break from Percy Jackson, give this book a try. I think you'll be glad you did!
My son couldn't stop laughing - Kalan - lexington, KY United States
A got a bunch of books for my 10 year old son in the last few months & this by far was his favorite. He would come to me & read parts of the book & we would laugh. We are waiting impatiently for the next book.
Droll Humor Galore. - D. Campbell - So Cal
Expectations of what a book is to contain can influence one's opinion;I expected to laugh out loud and indeed I did quite a bit. It's a dessert of a book and one that, if you are in the mood to read something fun, (though, the mother does die in it), then check this one out.
Mr. Cheeseman and his three children are on the run attempting to keep one step (or two)ahead what is mostly a motley and bumbling group of corporate goons, super-spys, and government agents who are in hot pursuit of Mr. Cheeseman's half-finished time machine. Having to be on the constant move, the children even have to change their names and are then referred to by their new names throughout the rest of the book. Though, Steve the Sock Monkey gets to keep his.
It does read, however, as if the author were planning to have the book eventually made into a movie; perhaps an animated one at that. The various characters that the Cheeseman family encounters are rather cartoonish and their traits are not unfamiliar (such as inane conversations comparing the words "squish" and "smash to the extreme aggravation of their evil leader"). On the other hand, I enjoyed the "unsolicited advice" from Dr. Soup that is presented on various topics throughout the book.
Recommend.
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