The Cockroach War

From the Publisher

"You'll read, you'll laugh, you'll believe." —Chicago Parent

KLIATT

If you think you've had some annoying neighbors, think again! Jonathan Harlen introduces us to the Judges, a nice, normal Australian family who enjoy the simplicities of suburban life: mowing the lawn, barbequing, walking in the park. When the Cadwalladers move in next door, the Judges think they are getting the perfect neighbors, carbon copies of themselves. However, when the Cadwalladers win 40 million dollars in the lottery, they turn into the greediest, nastiest people you could imagine. They tear down their house to build a mammoth monstrosity of a mansion, complete with a helicopter pad on top! They throw wild parties almost every night, keeping up the entire neighborhood. They start treating everyone like dirt and disrespect the neighborhood. The Judges are forced to put their house on the market but are upset at the prospect of selling their dream home. The Judge children, Emma and Toby, have to take matters into their own hands. They devise a comical, albeit improbable, scheme to force the Cadwalladers to move out. They catch insects, specifically hornets and cockroaches, implant microchips into their heads, and "steer" them via remote control directing them to attack the Cadwalladers' mansion multiple times. This is a creative tale that would appeal to late elementary and middle school age children, especially to boys. It's fantastical and funny; the reader will root for the Judges while still being empathetic to the Cadwalladers. Harlen continues the adventures of Toby and Emma Judge in Brain Scam. KLIATT Codes: J—Recommended for junior high school students. 2000, Allen & Unwin, 201p., Ages 12 to 15.
—Erin Darr