The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley [NOOK Book]

Reviewed by Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" for TeensReadToo.com

In this charming story of good versus evil, author Betty Dravis introduces us to the Toonies. Small beings who live in Cartoon Land, the world inside of our computers, the Toonies, like humans, come in good and bad form. Although some of them look a lot like us, others, such as the Mischief-Makers, resemble ape-like birds. But I bet you're wondering what the heck Toonies have to do with Silicon Valley, aren't you?

Thirteen-year-old Jeremy Kern is a young cartoonist/illustrator with his own very popular cartoon, "Doog Days." Absolutely enamored with his Apple computer, nicknamed "Wiseguy," Jeremy spends a lot of his time creating and updating the characters involved in his "Doog Days" cartoon. The world of the Toonies provides a reprieve for Jeremy, since his parents seem to be constantly arguing ever since his dad lost his job.

But the day Doog, the main character from his cartoon, jumps out of his computer and enters Jeremy's real life is a little bit beyond imagination. Doog is on a mission, though, and he won't quit until he convinces Jeremy that the world he has created is more than just fiction.

It seems that, in Cartoon Land, there's a Mischief-Maker named Dab who will do anything to stay in the real world. He plans to take over all of the computers he can -- hoping, one day, to even take over the world. But Doog, working under the guidance of the leader of Cartoon Land, Uncle Wom, is on a quest to stop Dab and his fellow Mischief-Makers before bad things start to happen in the real world. Along with his fellow Toonies, they need Jeremy's help, and his expertise, to stop Dab.

This is a great science-fiction fantasy story for kids of all ages, or for those who are young at heart. Although the story of good versus evil has been told thousands of time, it's never been told quite like this. You'll appreciate Ms. Dravis' insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of a young teenager's mind, and laugh-out-loud at the humorous scenarios her humans and Toonies find themselves in. This story is a real winner!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Golly-by-Golly, the Toonies are rockin¿!

¿The day the Toonie leaped out of Jeremy Kern¿s computer and landed smack-dab in the middle of his life, he thought he was going nuts.¿ From this very first line, Betty Dravis had me captivated and dying to know just how the story of a computer whiz kid from Silicon Valley and his cartoon friends would play out. Troubled by his parents¿ recent incessant arguing, Jeremy escapes to his computer one night to discover that Doog, a teenage Toonie Jeremy created for his weekly comic strip, has come to life when Jeremy needed him most. Shortly thereafter, Uncle Wom, the lovable old leader of Cartoon Land, also befriends Jeremy and informs him that all is not well in the Toonies¿ homeland. The evil Dab, an ape-like bird creature, and his band of Mischief-Makers are on a mission to escape from Cartoon Land, whatever the cost, and take over the humanoid world. With the help of his best friend, Buddy, and Buddy¿s twin sister, Ashley, Jeremy pledges to keep the secrets of Cartoon Land safe and never do anything that would allow Dab to escape. Everything is going fine for the three children and their new Toonie friends until Jeremy¿s dad, Arthur, accidentally releases Dab and his hench-birds...and chaos invades Silicon Valley. Will Jeremy and his friends be able to defeat the evil ape-bird? Or will Dab and his followers be the victors of the climactic battle at Orange Computer¿s supply building and thereby unleash their reign of terror on our world? There are so many lovable and endearing characters in ¿Toonies,¿ but my favorite would have to be Third, the sweet little Mischief-Maker turned hero. I loved his interactions with Jeremy¿s mom, Jessica, especially the white flag incident. And you *must* read this gem of a novel to find out what I¿m talking about! ' Betty Dravis has crafted an endlessly inventive, highly original, and entertaining tale that will appeal to readers of all ages. Don¿t miss it! :D Melika

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

TOONIES -- What's in YOUR computer?

My friend across the country from me took this and another book to Guam, and when she got back she sent them to me to take on my trip to Australia. It was our little joke, a 'Sisterhood of the Traveling Books.' I thought it looked like good airplane reading so I started it in Maine and finished it over the Pacific. What a fun book! Betty Dravis tells a great little story about a teenaged cartoonist named Jeremy Kern whose characters step out of his computer. Your attention will be grabbed by the delightful inhabitants of Cartoon Land, but the top-notch human characters more than hold their own. Jeremy and his friends Buddy and Ashley practically jump off the pages themselves, their issues, interests and dialogue are so vivid. They're smart, inquisitive kids with nurturing natures and a sense of responsibility -- and what an adventure they have! Wouldn't you like all the kids you know to be just like them? The Toonies are enormous fun. Their characteristics and background are described in enough detail to engage and entertain the reader, but by no means overwhelm the rocking story line. The good and the bad Toonies have their own culture, history and idiom -- golly-by-golly, they do! I wonder if anyone else will be reminded of THE BORROWERS, the Carnegie Medal-winning classic by Mary Norton? TOONIES has the same delightful feel while being thoroughly modern. (Hint, hint: there were a number of sequels to THE BORROWERS -- we sure would like to see more of the Toonies! Where are they going to turn up next?) TOONIES deals with some tough issues and models some excellent approaches to them. Jeremy's parents Arthur and Jessica are having problems, but they drop their squabbling to get involved in the Toonies crisis, supporting their son all the way. Along with Steve 'The Woz' Wozniak, Jeremy and his family and friends use all their creativity and courage to fight off the evil challenge of the Mischief Makers. TOONIES is aimed at kids aged 8 to 13. When I was that age I loved stories with a strong sense of place, and I still enjoy that in a book. Somebody's sure to see a fun movie in it, but don't wait for that because the book is so rewarding. Kristy Soza Ardizzone's illustrations are the perfect finishing touch and will inspire your own imagination. Here's a win-win idea -- read TOONIES to a child this month, or take turns reading it to each other! You'll have some giggles and some excitement, and maybe a chance to talk about a few things kids should know about the world.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A reviewer

I would give you more stars if I could, Betty! The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is worth 5 stars and many more. I was introduced to Betty Dravis on a fellow author's blog who is the author of The Pink Room, another awesome read. Betty was 'shamelessly' self-promoting her books 'sorry, but couldn't resist the reference to a joke on Mark's blog'. As it were, the timing was perfect-I was getting ready to go on a trip to Guam and was looking for a book to help pass the time on a long flight. When I received The Toonies, I realized that it would not make it past the flight to Houston due to the length, so I also purchased Betty's two other books '1106 Grand and Millenium Babe' for my trip. As hard as I tried, I could not resist reading the first few pages of The Toonies as I prepared for my trip. After those first few pages, I was hooked and no choice but to sit down and take the time to read the entire book in one sitting. Even though this book is rated as a young adult/children's book, it will also appeal to an adult as well. The characters are well developed and hold your interest from the beginning to the end. The illustrations are well done as well, kudos to Betty's granddaughter for a job well done. No matter how hard you try to put this book down, or try to limit the number of pages that you read, the book keeps pulling you back until you have come, unfortunately, to the end. The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley does what few books have been able to do recently-leave me wanting more. I urge you to purchase The Toonies and either share it with a special child in your life 'in my case, it's my granddaughter' or splurge and buy it for yourself. I promise you that you will not be disappointed. Do it today-Pronto Toronto!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Got this book at B&N Booksigning ... It's cool ...

A Kid's Review -¿¿ My Dad took me and my brothers to B&N/Westgate for a Teacher's event. The lady who wrote Toonies was there. Wile Dad talked to her, we began shoving each other to get a good look at the funny old man and the kid on the cover of Toonies. ¿¿¿ Dad ended up buying one. Since I'm the oldest, I got to read it first. I really loved the fun adventures the real kids had with the Toonies and all the places in Silicon Valley they went to. The Children's Discovry Musem is one of my favrite places, so it was fun when the bad Toonie flew around there and got bonked on the head by a homeless old lady. ¿¿¿ It was a fun book to read. My brothers think so to. ¿¿¿ A boy from Los Gatos, California

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Fun read for kids

I just reread this book with my little cousin and she really enjoyed it. Kids can identify with the characters in this book, and they like the creative cartoon characters that Ms. Dravis has created. This book has a lot of action and kids can let their imagination soar. We're waiting for the sequel!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

NOT recommended

TOONIES is an dull and tedious book. This is a complete rip off. The concept of cartoon characters living in our computers is ripped off from Roger Rabbit and dozens of others. The characters live in Cartoon Land no less--how dumb is that? This is an exact duplicate of Roger Rabbit and the equally as poorly written looney toons movie Space Jam. The plot is as linear as its get with good Toonies and bad Toonies who are Mischief Makers. Oh and there's an evil tyrant too. Sound familiar? It should and the cliches continue one after the other. I was unpleasantly amused at the author's dull, check-list descriptions of Doog and Uncle Wom. Numerious attempts at humor fall short. Overall, this is a tale my 8 and 10 year olds would rather have not read. We did NOT enjoy this book, and would NOT recommend it.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

The Next Movie Toon Phenomenon!

This book was referred to me several times by various friends and friends of friends. I purchased it shortly thereafter and became immediately amazed at the distinctive nature of this toon tale. Hollywood needs to recognize this novel as a guaranteed motion picture gold-mine. We all know that children's novels and animated movies have blockbuster sales potential... The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is a unique and very well written book. The sentences are totally visual and the subject-matter deals with Computer Toonies as opposed to the typical Animal Toonies that the public is already familiar with. The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley will be an X-mas present for all of my cousins, nephews and neices!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

21st Century Young People's Story Has Much More Than A Fine Tale!

Betty Dravis is a sensitive writer, one who has observed the idiosyncrasies of today's youth and has found a manner to bring her fine-honed journalistic writing skills to the literary table. In a book directed towards the age 8 - 13 readership, Dravis has taken all the current obsessions (computers, blogs, emails, anime, fantasy, and the preoccupation with fractured families), aligned these into a storyline that is entertaining and well designed, interspersed some drawings/illustrations by the her granddaughter Kristy Soza Ardizzone, and in the end has captured the imagination of children 'of all ages' while gently being supportive of family values. Based on the concept that computer cartoon figures created by imaginative kids, whose concerns with their home and school lives encourage them to escape into the safety of the computer, can come to life - by stepping out of the computer screen and relating to their creators as innovative folk - Dravis has created a fable of good and evil in the tradition of Aesop but very much grounded in the language and imagery of today. She has the gift to create three dimensional 'real people' while retaining the imagination of transferring personalities to 'computer generated people', a trait that makes her story fine enough for anyone to suspend belief for the duration of the book. But the tender aspect of this little foray into children's literature is Dravis ability to say a lot about our current society problems such as broken homes, parent/child engagements, that omnipresent monster of corporate greed that threatens just about every aspect of our lives, and communication in general. And while Dravis has focused on a make-believe tale, she grounds her credibility for youngsters by placing the story appropriately in Silicon Valley, the birthplace of computer obsession, with specific sited as backgrounds for her action. This is a fine tale for parents to give their youngsters: my recommendation would be to take the pleasure of reading it first before passing it on in a shared gesture of love and respect. Grady Harp

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Refreshing and Engaging, My Type of Story

I love all types of fantasy, but this tale is particularly close to my own heart. In fact, it is my favorite type of story: Vivid characters and events are first grounded in reality to make them believable so that the jump into the fantastical draws us in completely. After we are a part of the story, the imaginative events take over to both amaze and amuse us. Ms. Dravis' ability to present real people, places, and things in the midst of a fantasy story is very close to what I strive for in my own writings. Characters with last names and problems who live in real places, but still have fantastical things happen to them, make for a wonderful story - truly a modern James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory kind of tale. I am also impressed by how well a female author is able to portray such a believable boy character. All of the characters are engaging and real, with their daily struggles and triumphs and this helps make the story real as well, though it is also a lovely escape. In fact, it is so well done I am tempted to compare it to one of my favorite television shows - Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, which to me is entirely plausible, given the vast number of very real imaginary friends I have known in my life. This book has the power to appeal to all ages and types of people. I would definitely recommend it. --J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

compares to Gremlins or Goonies

This book is a fun book and will be enjoyed by kids with lively imaginations. When the main character, Jeremy, discovers a secret cartoon land in his computer, he accidentally lets some of the bad 'Toonies' escape. They start to cause trouble and he must enlist the help of the good Toonies to round them up and send them back into the computer before they destroy the world. This is a lively read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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