Book Review: Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka & Middle Grade Giveaway

3.5 wonderful M & M cookies

Cover Love: Yes! The cover itself seems like a commercial and totally fits the spirit of the book.

Why I Wanted To Read It: Hello, it's by Jon Scieszka! He is hysterical. (Seriously, go read Knucklehead, his autobiography. It is so funny). Plus I am always on the look put for funny books to recommend for those readers who only want to read a diary by a certain wimpy kid. Here's the summary from Simon & Schuster:

The perfect combination of the age old experience of holding and pouring over a physical book with newest media technology that kids love!

Michael K. just started fifth grade at a new school. As if that wasn't hard enough, the kids he seems to have made friends with apparently aren't kids at all. They are aliens. Real aliens who have invaded our planet in the form of school children and a hamster. They have a mission to complete: to convince 3,140,001 kids to BE SPHDZ. But with a hamster as their leader, "kids" who talk like walking advertisements, and Michael K as their first convert, will the SPHDZ be able to keep their cover and pull off their assignment?

I Kept Reading Because: It was funny! The absurdity of the aliens who contact Michael K is hysterical. They just talk in commercials & TV. It reminded me of two movies: Galaxy Quest, where the aliens in question base their whole civilization off a TV show from Earth and Starman, where Jeff Bridges comes to Earth after being invited by a space probe. The probe is filled with songs, TV shows and images from Earth so he also talks "TV speak" for a little bit in the movie.

Then again it reminds me of my own son who will tell me a TV show is on at "8:00, 7:00 central."

What I Liked: I love the illustrations! They are adorable and totally fit the book.
I love the mini science lessons sprinkled throughout the book. I actually learned new things!
And I loved the integration with websites. As kids read they will be introduced to three websites that are functional:
www.sphdz.com--sign up to be a SPHDZ and help stop the Earth from being turned off(also get a SPHDZ name--mine is Real Shampoo-SPHDZ.JW).
www.anitalienagency.com--where you can see what the government is doing to protect us from alien invasions.
www.mrshalleyscomets.com--Michale K.'s fifth grade teacher's website.

What a fun book for kids of this generation!

What I Would Like to See: I want to know what they mean by the Earth being turned off, I didn't really get that part.


Now for the FUN PART! A Middle Grade Giveaway. I get to give away FIVE awesome middle grade books:

• Spaceheadz by Jon Scieszka
• Brixton Bros: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett
• Amelia Rules! The Tweenage Guide to Not Being Unpopular by Jimmy Gownley
• Nightmare at the Book Fair by Dan Gutman
• Keepers of the School: We The Children by Andrew Clements

These are all excellent books and I just know that some middle grade reader in your life would love to read them. If you agree, fill out the form below to enter. The contest is open to US residents only and will close on September 20. I will contact the winner by email.