Patrick Griffin's Last Breakfast on Earth (by Ned Rust)

Publication Date: August 2016
            

SYNOPSIS: When Patrick Griffin passes out after a chemistry experiment gone bad, he wakes up in a strange parallel world, where everyone has huge eyes and tiny ears, and is addicted to smartphones called "binkies." Patrick thinks it's all a weird dream, but he's about to wake up to an adventure beyond his wildest imagination. Meanwhile, a huge rabbit-like creature named Mr. BunBun is roaming through Patrick's hometown, leaving a trail of chaos behind it. Its mission? To save Earth from imminent doom. See what happens when the fate of three worlds lies in the hands of one boy and one gigantic bunny.

THOUGHTS: This book is billed as the middle grade Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. PGLBOE is funny, wild, weird, thought-provoking, confusing, and silly. Chapters alternate between worlds, which helps keep the action flowing. There are serious themes - overreaching of government, for one - interspersed throughout much silliness. A great example of this silliness is that the worst thing Patrick learns on Ith (the parallel world) is that everyone - 12 YEAR OLD BOYS INCLUDED! - wears makeup. This story definitely has a niche audience - that kid who loves to read (it's about 400 pages long), loves sci-fi, is quirky, likes laughing, and has a vivid imagination. We all know some of these, and GET THEM THIS BOOK! Unfortunately, it totally does not have an ending, which some kids (and librarians, cough cough) might find a little frustrating. Guess they'll have to wait for the sequel!

CARTWHEEL BOOK NOMINEE?: Not even close. I think a lot of my kids would be bailing within the first 50-100 pages, when the serious weirdness sets in. But I will definitely recommend it to the kids who I think will love it, of course.