We Give a Squid a Wedgie (An Accidental Adventure Series #3)

by C. Alexander London, Jonny Duddle

Overview

If Oliver and Celia Navel had any hopes this year would be less life-threatening than the last, their hopes are quickly shattered…along with their television set. When a strange scientist warns them that their mother is—yet again—in peril, it’s off to the Pacific Ocean they go. But navigating stormy seas proves easy compared to tackling a Kraken—an enormous squid—and the twins think they might have bitten off more than they can chew.  In their quest for Atlantis, Oliver and Celia are in the worst trouble of their young lives; and survival comes down to one seemingly impossible task: giving a squid a wedgie.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101572443
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	04/04/2013
Series:	Accidental Adventure Series , #3
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

C. Alexander London (www.calexanderlondon.com) is the author of Proxy and Guardian, and the middle grade series The Accidental Adventures, Dog Tags, and Tides of War. A former journalist and children's librarian, Alex is now a full time writer in Brooklyn.

You can follow him on Twitter at @ca_london.

Editorial Reviews

"Thrilling and delightful! Finally, an adventure of the very best kind—the kind that happens to other people." — Pseudonymous Bosch, NYT bestselling author of The Secret Series

From the Publisher

Gr 3–6—The Navel twins are once again reluctantly forced from their couch and television and drawn into a crazy adventure. This time they are off to find their mother and Plato's map to Atlantis in their perpetual (un)quest to find the lost library of Alexandria. Celia and Oliver are dragged into the search by their enthusiastic explorer father and their movie-star best friend. During the journey they meet one of the last ocean-dwelling peoples, are captured by pirates (several times), and are nearly crushed by a Kraken. The juxtaposition of the unwilling, television-watching children and the parents intentionally putting their children in danger provides some humor, and moments of this book shine with witty dialogue and page-turning escapades. Unfortunately, these moments fall between some extraordinarily flat characterizations and unnatural conversations. Readers begin to get sucked in, but then are quickly lost to stale jokes and stereotypical arguments. Occasionally, the clear comedic illustrations help bring them back to the goings-on. The uncomplicated characters and familiar comedic double act make this a good choice for young readers looking for an action-driven plot and not quite ready for Pseudonymous Bosch's "Secret" series (Little, Brown), a more developed action tale involving ancient secret societies, a flawed hero and heroine, and lots of adventure.—Devin Burritt, Wells Public Library, ME

School Library Journal

Celia and Oliver are beginning to wonder if destiny will ever stop lobbing accidental adventures their way. On New Year's Eve, 11 (and 1/2)–year-old twins Celia and Oliver Navel want what they always want: to sit in front of their new cable TV and eat snack cakes… but both their parents are world-renowned explorers. In fact they live on the 4 1/2th floor of the Explorer's Club, and they have to attend the Club's New Year's Gala. When a squid attack (don't ask) brings an abrupt end to the festivities, they return home to find ichthyologist Chris Stickles waiting with a message from their (intermittently) missing mother: She needs their help to find Plato's map and maybe Atlantis, and maybe the Lost Library of Alexandria. Thankfully (well, not in the twins' opinion) teen heartthrob Corey Brandt is there to offer his boat for the expedition. The reluctant adventurers are off again on a wedgie- and Pirate Chicken (err, Rooster)–filled quest. London's third in the series does not let up on the Saturday-morning-cartoon goofiness, and the sibling rivalry heats up a bit, too. Duddle's occasional black-and-white illustrations are a plus in this open-ended romp that will definitely satisfy fans. High-seas hijinks with more laughs (and groans and squids) than adventure. (Humor. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews