Cold Cereal

Cold Cereal is my first Adam Rex book. I have read lots of books he's illustrated, but none he's written. I always enjoy reading his stuff online I just hadn't read one of his hooks yet, but Cold Cereal seemed a good place to start. It looked like the sort of book I would have no trouble getting my 4th-6th grade boys to read. I wasn't disappointed.

Synopsis (from Goodreads although it doesn't do it justice-on the book flap this is done in the form of nutrition information on a cereal box):
Cold Cereal Facts Serving size 1 chapter Number of servings 40
Primary human characters 3
Scottish Play Doe, aka Scott possible changeling Erno Utz genius Emily Utz supergenius

Magical creatures at least 3
Mick Leprechaun (or Clurichaun)
Harvey Pooka (rabbit-man)
Biggs indeterminate origin (hairy, large)
Evil organizations 1
Goodco Cereal CompanyPurveyor of breakfast foods aspiring to world domination
Adventure 75%
Diabolical Schemes 40%
Danger 57%
Legend 20%
Magic 68%
Humor 93%
Puzzles 35%
Mystery 49%
Not a significant source of vampires.
May contain nuts.
Daily values based on individual interest. Reader's estimation of value may be higher or lower, depending on your tolerance for this sort of thing

An evil cereal company. It doesn't get much more creative and fun when it comes to villains. Goodco makes sugary cereals (made with what looks like Corn on the box, but if you look closely it's really Gorn) and they sell them using fun mascots. A vampire. A man size rabbit. A leprechaun. Turns out these aren't just cute cereal box decorators but actual fae creatures being enslaved and stripped of their magic by the evil cereal company.

Enter the human child protagonists who aren't completely devoid of magic themselves. Plus an accountant named Merle Lynn and a self absorbed actor who is also a knight (and punched the Queen).

There is so much going on in this book and all of it fun and tongue in cheek. People are in peril. Kids get to live in trees, run around with fantastical creatures, and save the day. There is also a secret society called the Freeman completely mixed up with Goodco. Just when you think you are reading a story about an evil cereal co, and while heaps of fun that is all there is to it, Rex breaks out the Arthurian legend. Awesome. Extra awesome points go to referencing Goonies once.

I do have one quibble. Can you guess what it is? Let's all say it together: Its' too long. (I am going to write a post one day on why I keep harping on this issue.)

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