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Book Summary

Reviewed by Carrie R. Wheadon

Toby is determined to win the Hubble Middle School science fair, but he's got some much tougher competition than usual. The rich kids are getting their projects made for them like they do every year, but this time it's an international spy providing the project plans, plans that require the spoiled students' government-connected parents to unwittingly provide top-secret technology that could get the U.S. in a whole lot of trouble. As Toby begins to piece the plot together, no one seems to believe him except his two best friends and the eccentric owner of a mall science store.

Is It Any Good?

4

SCIENCE FAIR is hilarious. And unlike many books that go for humor over plot, this one ties each silly character quirk and wacky moment directly into the action that moves the story forward. The smelly cheese brought over by foreign spies is thrown at FBI agents in an escape, crazed Star Wars collectors have an appropriately goofy showdown in character with fake weapons, and a frog, a Wienermobile, and a giant Mentos all help foil a terrorist plot in some way.

There's only one minus to the fast-paced fun -- all those adults -- principals, the FBI -- that Toby tries to warn who just won't listen. The explanations that land him in more and more trouble get a little tiring. Otherwise, you can't beat this kind of story to keep all kinds of readers engaged and laughing out loud.

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