Synopsis
Save the planet . . . Pluto! Stink Moody, wise-cracking champion of everything small, is on a new mission: to reinstate his favorite celestial orb.
Look! Up in the sky! Is it a falling leaf ?
A speck of dust? A speeding mosquito?
No, it’s Stink Moody, Solar System Superhero!
When Stink learns that Pluto has flunked out of the Milky Way for being too shrimpy, he feels like he might just explode with a Big Bang. Stink has no choice but to take a stand for the sake of little planets (and little people) everywhere. Will he be smart enough to defeat a panel of big-shot scientists? Will he be strong enough to beat know-it-all Riley Rottenberger and her "Team KPB"? Will he succeed in rescuing Pluto from a fate worse than being swallowed by a black hole? Start the countdown for a funny (and very informative) out-of-this-world adventure—and prepare to have your universe rocked!
Children's Literature
Stink Moody, younger brother of Judy Moody, returns to fight for the underdog and teach his classmates a thing or two in the process. Formerly enamored of the planet Saturn, Stink becomes intrigued by the entire solar system while studying for a science test. But he realizes his mnemonic device is lacking when the teacher marks Pluto wrong because it is no longer classified as a planet. Stink is so indignant that he takes a stand against his nemesis, Riley Rottenberger, who smugly reveals that she already learned that fact at Space Camp. Their teacher agrees to let the two students—and their followers—duke it out by campaigning for their views, staging a mock trial, and performing a dramatic reading about Pluto's banishment. At the climax of the story, Stink's performance proves persuasive, and the underdog prevails. The writing is the right blend of education and entertainment to hold the interest of young readers, and it's intriguing how the suspense builds as Stink approaches Pluto's last stand at school. Crammed as the book is with written and illustrated facts about the solar system, readers can't help but come away with a better understanding of each planet's properties. Clever "Mnemonic Comics" illustrate the planets using the phrase "My Very Excellent Mother Served Us Nine Pizzas," anthropomorphizing them to educate readers about their characteristics. Other simple illustrations with funny details, such as Pluto's symbolic tombstone, flesh out the story well. Reviewer: Michele C. Hughes