Toy Academy: Some Assembly Required (Toy Academy #1)

by Brian Lynch, Edwardian Taylor (Illustrator)

Overview

A hilarious and heartwarming illustrated chapter book from the writer of the blockbuster film Minions!

Perfect for fans of Dog Man!Welcome to Toy Academy: where toys learn to play. This is where action figures train to battle, stuffed animals study the art of the hug, and collectibles practice standing very, very still. Grumbolt isn't really any of those things. Lopsided and handmade, he doesn't know what he is or where he belongs! But when the Evil Toy Academy threatens to bring down his school, it's up to Grumbolt to go where no good toy has gone before and prove he's truly a great toy after all.This laugh-out-loud chapter book by Brian Lynch, the writer of Minions and a writer of The Secret Life of Pets, is a classic in the making.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338148459
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	12/26/2017
Series:	Toy Academy , #1
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.60(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Edwardian Taylor works as a freelance visual development artist for mobile games, TV, films, and commercials in Dallas, Texas. He is the illustrator of the Toy Academy series, written by Brian Lynch, as well as the illustrator of the picture books Race!, written by Sue Douglass Fliess, and It's Not Jack and the Beanstalk, written by Josh Funk. Learn more about him at edwardiantaylor.com and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr @edwardiantaylor.
Brian Lynch is a screenwriter whose work includes the movies The Secret Life of Pets, Minions, Puss in Boots, and Hop. He has also written the comic books Monster Motors, Bill & Ted's Most Triumphant Return, Spike, and Angel: After the Fall. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife and son. He firmly believes that the greatest toy is either an Adventure People Daredevil Skydiver or Shipwreck from G.I. Joe.

Editorial Reviews

10/30/2017
Children’s book newcomer Lynch, whose screenwriting credits include Minions and The Secret Life of Pets, debuts with the joke-dense story of Grumbolt, a malformed stuffed animal who heads to the eponymous academy to learn how to play. Joining him are OmniBus Squared, an arthritic Transformers-esque school bus robot, and Micro Gigantic, an enthusiastic action figure sealed in a plastic wrapper to maximize her value as a collectible. Taylor’s 1980s-retro images (not all seen by PW) are ideal for a story that lovingly pokes fun at that era’s toys (“Any child who got a Castle Fort Lair for their birthday didn’t ask for any other gifts for the next three holidays”), and Grumbolt and crew’s clashes with the forces of the Evil Toy Academy will have readers looking forward to future books. Ages 7–10. Author’s agent: Erin Malone, William Morris Endeavor. Illustrator’s agency: Bright Group. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Toy Academy:"Toy Academy is stuffed with humor, heart and edge-of-your-seat action—all of the hallmarks that make Brian Lynch's movies so wonderful." — Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady series"Brian Lynch is fast on his way to becoming a national treasure. He writes all of your favorite movies, your favorite comic books, and now what is sure to become one of your favorite chapter books. And Grumbolt is the best kind of hero: imperfect, scrappy, and very, very funny." — Michael Ian Black"Curl up with your favorite toy and read this book. Toy sold separately." — Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday"This series debut is extremely funny, with ridiculous situations, sympathetic characters, eye-rolling references, running jokes, and cliffhangers ending almost every brief chapter." — School Library Connection"Lynch's action-packed narrative is accompanied by Taylor's equally energetic grayscale illustrations, lending it graphic-novel appeal. Suspense regularly gives way to almost-slapstick humor, ensuring this fun-filled adventure will grab readers who love their action toys and video games." — Booklist

From the Publisher

10/01/2017
Gr 1–3—Grumbolt, a stuffed toy shoddily constructed from an advanced sewing pattern, first came to consciousness in the garbage can. He liked it there (if he got hungry, there was half a waffle) until he saw the angry letter addressed to "U CAN SEW" from his eight-year-old creator: "he is simply unplayable. His arms are two different lengths, his head is too big for his body." So begins the epic adventure of a rejected homemade toy trying to find his true place in the world. A few chance encounters land him a seat at Toy World's Toy Academy, "Commander Hedgehog's Institute for Novelty Academia," where he dreams of a future with a kid but cannot find his strengths as a toy. While he looks like a "plush" rather than an action figure, collectible, or educational toy, he struggles in his Tea Parties 101 class and Introduction to Dress Up. Meanwhile, when Commander Hedgehog's arm goes missing and fingers start pointing at nearby Evil Toy Academy, the action accelerates along with Grumbolt's troubles. The simple plot is made more interesting with the amusing and clever details about the toys and Toy World itself. The freshman dorms are "actually Princess Dream Mansions that Margie, the most successful doll ever, had graciously donated." Grumbolt's roommate is a neat and tidy paper doll, and his friend Micro is an action figure who wears a bag over her head and dreams of being a collectible. High-energy illustrations on every page help to keep less confident readers engaged while amplifying the silliness of the story. VERDICT This light cross between a talking toy and doll fantasy and a boarding school story contains a fast-paced adventure (and a few winks about modern toy marketing) for readers, particularly those who enjoy the energy and humor of its author, who wrote the screenplay for Minions and was a writer for The Secret Life of Pets.—Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA

School Library Journal

2017-09-26
"[I]t's hard to be yourself when you don't know what you are."Grumbolt wakes up in a trash can next to a used doll pattern from the U Can Sew company and a complaint letter from an 8-year-old who'd tried to use the pattern and failed. She'd created something with arms of two different lengths, two different ears, and a silly expression. Grumbolt feels sorry for that doll until he realizes he is it! He sets out to find a child to play with. After a run-in with a live cat, he meets OmniBus Squared, who's recruiting for Cmdr. Hedgehog's Toy Academy. Grumbolt wants to learn to be a better toy, so he convinces OmniBus to take him. Grumbolt's declared a plush (rather than collectible, action, or educational) and enrolls in Tea Parties 101 and Introduction to Dress-up. He's a failure, but he keeps trying. Then Cmdr. Hedgehog's arm is stolen; surely the culprit is from the Evil Toy Academy. Can Grumbolt help find it and succeed in school? Film and comic-book writer Lynch's prose debut is entertaining enough (Taylor's Saturday-morning-cartoon illustrations help) but no great innovation. This chapter book is best read together because, like the author's movies (The Secret Life of Pets and Minions), it's sprinkled with fairly sophisticated jokes for caregivers to enjoy as well as slapstick goofiness for the kids.A familiar-feeling series kickoff. (Fantasy. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews