School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6ÄTeachers have heard all the extraordinary excuses for not turning in homeworkÄmy baby brother ate it, our dog chewed it up, it flew out of my book bag. But have you heard this oneÄthe aliens ate it! Bizarre as it may seem, this was the absolute truth! Rod Albright could never ever tell a lie. The unexpected arrival of the spaceship Ferkel landing in a tub of papier mache with Captain Grakker, Madame Pong, and crew was a phenomenal happening. The aliens solicited Rod's help on an adventurous space mission involving school bully, Billy Becker, who turns out to be "criminal genius from the stars in disguise." In Bruce Coville's typically adventurous style (PB, 1993) listeners accompany Billy as he faces androids, docility modules, galactic codes and more. The dramatic reading by William Dufris creates a suspenseful atmosphere in which danger and mystery unfold. He offers a variety of individual voices for the story's characters. His expert oral interpretation keeps the story in its galactic orbit where youngsters will be spellbound until they crashland in the Bruce Coville section of the library for more interplanetary adventures.ÄPatricia Mahoney Brown, Franklin Elementary School, Kenmore, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This zany caper showcases Coville's ( My Teacher Is an Alien ) ability to make the unbelievable close to credible. The young hero, down-to-earth Rod Allbright, doesn't quite believe his eyes when a small blue spaceship flies through his bedroom window and lands in a vat of papier-mache he is using for a science project. Within minutes the startled boy meets the spaceship's curious crew, and is recruited to become an integral player in their mission to apprehend an alien criminal whose specialty is cruelty. As it turns out, Rod knows too well how cruel this culprit can be, as he has been posing as the bullying Billy Becker, Rod's archenemy at school. After several surprises and funny moments (as Billy turns in his math assignment, he is horrified to see that one of the aliens hiding in his desk has chewed on it so that it resembles a lace doily), the plot ends with Billy (literally) getting his comeuppance, as the aliens carry him off to a faraway planet. Coville's typically high-spirited entertainment will appeal equally to girls and boys. Ages 8-12. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
While Rod is baby-sitting his twin siblings one day, aliens crash-land in the papier-mâché he is using for a school project. Rod, the twins, and the local bully become involved in the ensuing confusion, as the aliens attempt to track down an intergalactic fugitive. A funny and suspenseful romp, with appealing illustrations throughout. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Gr. 4-6. Sixth-grader Ron Allbright can't tell a lie, so when his teacher asks him why his math homework looks like Swiss cheese, he tells the unbelievable truth: an alien ate it. Who would credit such stuff? Nobody--except class bully Billy Becker, actually an alien criminal sought by the members of the Galactic Patrol whose spaceship has crashed through Ron's bedroom window. With obvious delight in things absurd--android parents, talking plants, and little green extraterrestrials--Coville conducts readers on a merry chase, with Ron at the hub. Bound to ring in Coville's fans, this lively sf frolic is an agreeable mix of suspense and comedy with an animated cast of people and other worldly sorts that kids will love rooting for and against. ~--Stephanie Zvirin