Geeked Out

Gr 3–6—Dystopia meets "Wimpy Kid" in this this mash-up. Tip and his three nerdy sidekicks are bitten by long-dormant, ooze-eating spiders and end up with the superpowers necessary to triumph over their many foes: the Sox and the Jox, but mainly Darth Susan, the principal's secretary and secret power behind the throne. Upon realizing they now have supersonic hearing (Owen), the ability to shatter glass (Mindy), the power to start and stop machines at will (Tip) and, most powerful of all, the ability to shake the earth via sonic-level belching (Xen), the four friends band together to form LAME—the League of Average and Mediocre Entities. Their first challenge: make sure that their standardized test scores are counted, thereby thwarting Darth Susan's evil plan to have the school closed so she can retire early. Will they succeed, or will they just succeed in getting pantsed once again? Discerning readers will already understand that this is not your typical science fiction. It is the kind of fiction, however, that appeals to the many Greg Heffley connoisseurs and to those who aren't picky about complicated plot twists or character growth.