This mediocre tie-in to the Nanovor online/handheld video game created by Jordan Weisman (Cathy's Book
) opens with a note from protagonist Lucas Nelson, in which he explains how he discovered the microscopic nanovors, which he and his classmates use in Pokémon
-style combat (“They live to fight! As soon as we figured that out, we realized it wasn't a big step to collect them and fight them”). In the story itself, Lucas learns that Dana, a rival classmate, is planning on using her technical expertise to hijack his science fair project in an attempt to clear her father's name. Lucas and his friend Drew have no choice but send their avatars into the nanosphere to stop Dana. Lafferty and Payne are not without their strengths: while most of the characters are unsubtly good or bad, Dana, whose actions are wrong but whose desire to help her father is noble, is an exception. The contrived fight scenes are thankfully brief. With little background given other than what's in the introduction, this will likely only interest readers already familiar with the Nanovor world. Ages 7–10. (Jan.)
