Awesome Dog 5000

Marty Fontana’s fifth-grade year starts with an unwelcome move to a new town and three glaring social faux pas: accidentally introducing himself as “Farty Montana,” scoring the winning basket for the wrong team in gym class, and failing to bring a sack lunch to avoid the unappealing cafeteria options. Invited to join the “Zeroes Club,” Marty finds a place to be himself, but he goes up against a slighted scientist after he finds a robotic, rocket-propelled dog in his new house, then unintentionally crashes a party thrown by Dr. Crazybrains. As his name suggests, Crazybrains is a caricature of the mad-scientist-bent-on-revenge archetype. This first installment in a planned series is rapidly paced and absurdist, invoking the cartoonish sensibility and visual style of the animated series Dexter’s Laboratory. While character development occurs (in a final scene, Marty sticks with the “Zeroes” over a more popular group), Dean’s debut invests heavily in ridiculous twists and silly depictions, such as Dr. Crazybrains’s transformation into “a little bunny with twenty-foot-tall butt cheeks.” This will find the most appeal with readers looking for engaging chapter books with illustrated elements. Ages 8–12.[em] Agent: Melissa Nasson, Rubin Pfeffer Content. (July) [/em]