Aliens for Breakfast

This short, eight-chapter novel has a zany premise loaded with reader appeal but, disappointingly, never takes off. Richard sits down to breakfast one morning and discovers that his bowlful of Alien Crisp cereal is home to the real thinga tiny, talkative alien named Aric, who explains that he has come to save Earth from the evil Dranes, a rival alien race. One of them has already taken up residence; it is, in fact, Dorf, the eerily cool, instantly popular new boy in Richard's class. Richard must destroy Dorf before it is too late, but Aric has forgotten the correct method for doing that. Richard and Aric's efforts are tame and uninspired, the turns of plot seem random rather than carefully thought out, and the eventual solution (feeding Dorf large quantities of red pepper, which causes him to explode) requires little ingenuity or initiative on Richard's part. Loose, rather quirky pen-and-ink illustrations are a dashing addition to what is otherwise easily forgotten fare. Ages 7-9. (Nov.)