Pennybaker School Is Headed for Disaster

Description

For fans of Gordon Korman and Stuart Gibbs comes the first book in an illustrated middle grade series about the adventures of a memorable group of uniquely gifted sixth graders. Thomas Fallgrout always thought of himself as a regular kid until the day he accidentally creates a little big of magic using his grandpa's old potions. Suddenly, he's pulled from public school and enrolled in Pennybaker Academy for the Uniquely Gifted, where kids are busy perfecting their chainsaw juggling, unicycling feats, and didgeridoo playing. Pennybaker is full of spirit thanks to its most beloved teacher: the late, great Helen Heirmauser. The school has even erected a statue of her head on a pedestal. Then, life is uprooted when the statue goes missing -- and everyone thinks Thomas is behind its disappearance. Now his head is on the line. As his new friends turn on him, Thomas finds himself pairing up with the only person who will associate with him: his oddball next door neighbor Chip Mason. Together they work to hunt down the missing statue . . . only to discover that maybe what they've both needed to find all along was true friendship. Featuring black-and-white illustrations, this wildly fun first book kicks off a hilarious new middle-grade series from acclaimed author Jennifer Brown.

Jennifer Brown is the author of the middle-grade novels How Lunchbox Jones Saved Me from Robots, Traitors, and Missy the Cruel; Life on Mars, a 2015 CCBC Best-of-the-Year Pick; and the Pennybaker School series. She's also the author of the highly-acclaimed YA novels Hate List, Bitter End, Perfect Escape, Thousand Words, and Torn Away. She lives with her family in Kansas City, Missouri. www.jenniferbrownauthor.com @JenBrownBooks

No shortage of fun, and young readers will be encouraged to embrace their inner weirdness by the book's end. * BCCB * Brown delivers a well-plotted mystery in this series opener, with plenty of red herrings and a satisfying resolution. But it's the quirky humor and wild characters . . . that will stick with readers. * Publishers Weekly * Nonstop middle-grade humor. * Kirkus Reviews * Amusing for readers who enjoy Brown's offbeat humor. * Booklist * There's nothing robotic about Lunchbox Jones. It's a keenly-observed slice of middle-school life, told with plenty of humor and heart. -- #1 New York Times bestselling author Gordon Korman on HOW LUNCHBOX JONES SAVED ME FROM ROBOTS, TRAITORS, AND MISSY THE CRUEL A thoughtful look at judgment and friendship . . . A comedic intro twists into a nuanced exploration of character, with a detailed mystery. Give to readers who liked R.J. Palacio's WONDER. * School Library Journal * With humor and heart, Brown tells a story of unlikely friendship. Readers who enjoyed Lisa Yee's Warp Speed or Jeffrey Brown's Star Wars: Jedi Academy series will find a similar brand of humor here. -- Booklist on HOW LUNCHBOX JONES SAVED ME FROM ROBOTS, TRAITORS, AND MISSY THE CRUEL A winning blend of humorous and poignant moments. * Publishers Weekly on HOW LUNCHBOX JONES SAVED ME FROM ROBOTS, TRAITORS, AND MISSY THE CRUEL * Though they may not shine in the robotics department, Luke and his team succeed in other ways in this likable comedy. * Kirkus Reviews on HOW LUNCHBOX JONES SAVED ME FROM ROBOTS, TRAITORS, AND MISSY THE CRUEL * The friendship between Arty and Cash is both preposterous and completely believable. Ultimately Life on Mars isn't about making connections to other planets so much as making them across the street. -- Kurtis Scaletta, author of MUDVILLE and JINXED! on LIFE ON MARS