Bart King (1) (1962–)

A charmingly madcap science fiction adventure for the middle grade crowd, The Drake Equation combines conservation, science projects, aliens, sentient machines, bullies and best friends, and...magic? Or something so scientifically advanced as to appear to be magic, anyway. This is just the sort of clever, humorous yarn I'd happily hand over to my nephew---especially since his obsession with fish-of-all-sorts finds a mirror in the protagonist, Noah's, birding enthusiasm.

For me, I enjoyed the show more characters and the humor and the occasional field notes, newspaper article, species profile, and evening news report peppering the narrative. I also appreciated the parallels drawn between Noah’s everyday life and interests and those of the aliens he encounters. But the book ends very abruptly, and while I can hope Noah's adventures continue in a sequel, I can’t help but feel that this story needed another few chapters to find its resolution.

I also thought that while the author clearly seems to be hinting at themes of cause and effect---of accidents and choices and the sometime destruction that must be lived with afterward---those themes never quite gel in Noah’s mind or the story, itself. Perhaps that's another element that might have been wrapped up in those additional concluding chapters? show less

Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

Any young man who can manage to grow up (alive) and retain (most) of their sanity surrounded by five sisters automatically gains my respect. When that young man grows up to be Bart King, author of THE BIG BOOK OF GIRL STUFF, who uses the wisdom, never-ending frustration, and survival instincts honed while growing up with said five sisters, my respect turns to genuine admiration.

Like its predecessor, THE BIG BOOK OF BOY STUFF, this book is filled to the brim show more with helpful tips, life-saving information every girl needs to know (i.e. how to put on eyeliner correctly), the best reversible pink cover in the history of books, and much, much more. Don't believe me? Categories in this must-have book include:

Babysitting; Girl Power; Boys; Friends, Cliques, Secrets, and Gossip; Fun Stuff to Do; Holidays; Sports and Games; Dance and Cheerleading; Lies, Mean Girls, and Jerks; Ick; Nicknames, Handwriting, Words, and Doodles; Slang; Dolls and Stuffed Animals; Etiquette and Manners; Family; Beauty; Makeup; Sleepovers and Slumber Parties; Hair; Humor; Fashion; How Important are Looks?; Food and Dieting; The Mind, Emotions, and Dreams; Practical Jokes; Girl Secrets: No Boys Allowed!; Girl Emergencies; Pets and Animals; Shopping and Advertising; Wise Words from Wise Women.

Here's a strategy tip straight from Mr. King himself: If your brother or sister ever tells you to "shut up," try using this magical spell from ancient times: I don't shut up, I grow up, and when I look at you, I throw up. Problem solved!

And for those of us (read old) who have gotten behind on the cool (is cool even still cool?) phrases of the day, here's a few hints: chichi (pronounced shee-shee) means expensive in a tasteless way, harsh the mellow means to upset people, and a nooj is a harmless troublemaker.

I'm telling you, you need a copy of THE BIG BOOK OF GIRL STUFF! Otherwise, you'll never know what you need to know, while everyone else knows it, which makes you look perflippity (which means silly, by the way). show less

I'm a librarian. I'm a children's librarian. There's a better than 50% chance that I'm a gal. And, like most gals, I just don't understand what makes boys tick. So I bought this book to help me. I needed more programming that would be guy-o-centric. This is a great book and my original plan had been to look through it for ideas and then palm it off on my great-nephew as a Christmas present. It's staying with me. I only wish there were more things in here about boogers. I could have done a show more whole Saturday about boogers! Instead, (sigh) I will devote a Saturday to Flight and we'll make paper airplanes. Goggles on, chocks away, last one back's a Euro-federalist! show less

We got this as a gift for friends who moved to Portland, and after flipping through it I got so interested that I read it. It consists of eighborhood by neighborhood descriptions of interesting and historical architecture, woven with stories about Portland's history and colorful citizens. A school teacher with a history degree, the author has a dry sense of humor that I really like. Lots of pictures.