Parents' Guide to

Meanwhile

By Teen Librarian, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Quirky, inventive, and absorbing choose-your-own adventure.

Book Jason Shiga Adventure 2010
Meanwhile Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lilly Lee
Lilly Lee Parent of 10, 13 and 16-year-old
August 9, 2022
age 13+

Not healthy

As a mother and mental health professional I find this book disturbing. Almost immediately, the reader is plunged into a tale where the protagonist is forced to confront a myriad of choices that all revolve around the detonation of the Killitron 2000. This contraption will instantly kill everyone on earth except the main character. The fact that there is no blood (just lifeless bodies all around) does not sanitize the genocide . I admit the author has skill and the book is It is captivating but in a tortured way. I am baffled by the aloofness with which toxic ideas spread.

This title has:

Too much violence
Lilly Lee
Lilly Lee Parent of 10, 13 and 16-year-old
August 9, 2022
age 13+

Not healthy

As a mother and mental health professional I find this book disturbing. Almost immediately, the reader is plunged into a tale where the protagonist is forced to confront a myriad of choices that all revolve around the detonation of the Killitron 2000. This contraption will instantly kill everyone on earth except the main character. The fact that there is no blood (just lifeless bodies all around) does not sanitize the genocide . I admit the author has skill and the book is It is captivating but in a tortured way. I am baffled by the aloofness with which toxic ideas spread.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

With just one choice -- chocolate or vanilla ice cream -- Jimmy is thrust into a world of puzzles, adventures, and inventions. After Jimmy picks a flavor he meets \ Professor K, who introduces Jimmy to his three unbelievable inventions: the Killitron 2000, an untested doomsday device; \ a time travelling machine that only goes back seven years in time; and \ SQUID, which transfers memories from one brain to another. As readers \ make choices for Jimmy -- sometimes as mundane as deciding whether or not to look in a \ medicine cabinet -- Jimmy moves along in many different stories \ where he uses all three of Professor K's inventions to sometimes disastrous, \ sometimes happy results.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (8 ):

Through an inventive series of tabs and colored tubes, readers make their choices and skip all over this fun 80-page book -- 3,856 story combinations in all! Kids will get hooked both by the novel delivery of the "choose your own adventure" idea and the engaging series of story combinations. The colorful and comical illustrations make it an even bigger draw -- the perfect take-along on long trips.

The illustrations by Jason Shiga are endearing and quirky all at the same time. Beautiful and colorful, they really bring the exciting adventures to life. Also, when Jimmy goes to different places and time periods they are colored differently -- a great way to show readers the change in scenery and time.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Professor K's inventions. Which invention would you most like to try out if you were Jimmy: the Killitron 2000, the Time Machine or the SQUID?

  • On the cover of the book, it says that there are 3,856 story possibilities! How is that possible? Did you get close to reading that many of the stories? What was your favorite story and ending?

  • Create your own "choose your own adventure"-type story. What scenarios would make your readers go back to the beginning? Which would be the happy endings?

  • If you were in Jimmy's position, would you have chosen chocolate or vanilla ice cream?

Book Details

  • Author: Jason Shiga
  • Illustrator: Jason Shiga
  • Genre: Adventure
  • Book type: Fiction
  • Publisher: Amulet Books
  • Publication date: March 1, 2010
  • Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
  • Number of pages: 80
  • Last updated: July 12, 2017

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