Cakes in Space (A Not-So-Impossible Tale) - Hardcover

Reeve, Philip

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 038538792X ISBN 13: 9780385387927

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015

Synopsis

Get ready for killer cupcakes! Deadly donuts! And an outer space adventure with illustrations on almost every page.
 
Astra’s family is moving—to a whole new planet. And what does any kid need on moving day? Snacks! But when Astra asks her spaceship’s computer to whip up the ultimate dessert, it makes cakes so amazing that they come to life. Now these cake-monsters are destroying the ship! Can Astra and her robot friend stop them in time? Or are these terrible treats a recipe for disaster?
 
For early chapter book readers who are ready for something longer, the Not-So-Impossible Tales are packed with silly humor, action, and larger-than-life fun.
 
“An out-of-this-world choice to read alone or read aloud.” —School Library Journal
 
“Will appeal to reluctant and strong chapter-book readers alike.” —Booklist

"Goofy fun from the first page, and Astra, a perfect mix of ingenious, precocious, and excitable, will grab readers right away." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

About this title

About the Author

PHILIP REEVE is the acclaimed author of the Mortal Engines/Predator Cities series, the Fever Crumb series, and Here Lies Arthur (Carnegie Medal winner). He was born and raised in the seaside town of Brighton and has been writing down adventures since he was five years old.
 
SARAH McINTYRE has written and illustrated several picture books and comics for children. Her delightfully over-the-top drawings and mischievous monkey illustrations brought Philip and Sarah together for this series.

From School Library Journal

Gr 2–5—Ten-year-old Astra and her family are moving to a whole new planet, aptly named Nova Mundi. Since it takes 199 years to get there, the space travelers will be frozen in sleeping pods. Astra's skeptical—and hungry! She decides that she needs a snack before going into hibernation, so she asks the ship's super computer robot, Nom-O-Tron, to make her the "ultimate cake...so delicious it's scary." The robot goes to work, but the girl's parents put her into her sleeping pod before any cake is produced. When Astra wakes up early, she discovers that Nom-O-Tron has made decidedly scary cupcakes that seem to be eating anything they can find. Can Astra and her robot sidekick Pilbeam save the ship? Add some otherworldly pirates and a slithery, creepy alien called the Nameless Horror, and you have a wacky and fast-moving, if somewhat outlandish, adventure. While the full-color cartoon illustrations can seem like something from The Jetsons, that won't matter to budding readers ready to step up to chapter books. Underlying lessons about not judging by appearances and being careful what you ask for contribute to a happy ending with some sci-fi fun along the way. VERDICT An out-of-this-world choice to read alone or read aloud.—Katherine Koenig, The Ellis School, PA

Edition details

• Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 038538792X
• ISBN 13: 9780385387927
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224
• Illustrator: McIntyre Sarah