Oscar and the Amazing Gravity Repellent

by Tina L. Peterson, Xavier Bonet (Illustrator)

Overview

Oscar Schmidt is a klutz and gravity is his nemesis - it pulls him down, trips him up, and helps the neighborhood bullies make his life all-around awful. But when Oscar finds an abandoned train caboose one day after school, everything changes. Inside, he discovers a magical potion: Dr. Oopsie's Amazing Gravity Repellent. Along with his best friend, Asha, Oscar learns what happens when he defies the laws of nature. But when the caboose comes under attack from a group of bullies, Oscar's reaction puts his worst enemy in serious danger. Oscar must face the consequences of his actions, figure out right from wrong, and learn how to stand up for himself. Aheartwarming mix of sweet humor and whimsical fantasy, young readers will immediately fall in love with Oscars tale and easily relate to the real-life issues at the story's core.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623702441
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	08/01/2015
Series:	Middle-grade Novels
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 10 Years

About the Author

Tina L. Peterson has been fighting gravity her whole life. She was never any good at making balls go where she wanted them to on the playground, and she skinned her knees a lot. The idea for Oscar's tale first took root many years ago, when Tina saw a municipal truck labeled "Gravity Services" parked in front of the house. She never did figure out what that truck was doing, but ever since that day, her imagination has played with the idea of turning gravity off, even if only for a little while. Tinahas a Ph.D. in mass media and communication from Temple University and is on the board of directors of the National Association for Media Literacy Education. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, she currently lives in Texas with her husband.

Interviews

A heartwarming mix of whimsical fantasy and real-life issues. Deals with bullying in a thoughtful and realistic way. Fun and sweet humor that young readers will love. A glossary at the end of the book and online discussion questions and writing prompts help kids critically reflect on the story

Editorial Reviews

2015-06-29
Chronically clumsy Oscar presents an easy target for bullies—until he discovers a magical anti-gravity solution. After curiously following a raccoon over a hill, Oscar stumbles upon an overgrown, abandoned caboose that was evidently once the traveling headquarters of an old-time-y huckster named Dr. Oopsie. Inside he find bottles of a solution that, when applied, counteracts gravity—but only until it dries. This gives him and his best friend, Asha, the opportunity to do amazing things: spinning through the air, easily climbing tall trees, and, best of all, flying around clinging to the blades of a ceiling fan. But the anti-gravity solution can be dangerous, too, since it wears off abruptly. After Oscar and Asha discover local bullies vandalizing the caboose, Oscar angrily drenches the lead bully with anti-gravity solution then allows him to float away, leaving Asha and a guilty-feeling Oscar to explore (and didactically explain) the difference between bullies and "not-mean" kids. Bonet's cartoonlike cover art and a pair of interior illustrations effectively play up a forbidding setting for the caboose. In spite of ceiling-fan fun, Peterson never fully limns the enchanting potential of anti-gravity applications. The conclusion hints at a sequel, which readers will hope comes with a more substantial dose of magic. Although Oscar successfully resolves his bully problem and his clumsiness, the draw here is the magic, not the somewhat bromidic bibliotherapy. (Fantasy. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews

Oscar and the Amazing Gravity Repellent hits a lot of solid buttons for young readers — clumsiness, friendship, bullying, the curious magic of the everyday, the wonder of the unknown — and melds them into a fun little tale about responsibility, hope, and consequences. . . .This book gets a lot of things right, particularly Oscar’s overconfident moments (a great character element) and Asha’s unshakable support and thoughtfulness. They’re definitely a pairing I’d like to see again.

Manhattan Book Review