A Whole Nother Story

How can one resist a book that sports a sock puppet named Steve on its cover? A Whole Nother Story is a madcap chase involving the brilliant scientist, Mr. Cheeseman, his "three attractive, polite, relatively odor-free children," Pinky, their physic hairless dog, government agents (known only by their initials - Atich Dee and El Kyoo), international spies (including a chimpanzee with a fondness for pet fish), corporate villains, and of course, Steve.

The story is narrated by Dr. Cuthbert of the National Center for Unsolicited Advice, who, at various times, interrupts his narrative with unsolicited advice, such as his "generous advice on gift giving,"

"All gifts are not created equal. Historically speaking, there are good gifts and there show more are bad gifts.
Good gifts: A bottle of champagne, a box of fine Belgian chocolates, the Statue of Liberty.
Bad gifts: A bottle of shampoo, a box of fine Belgian matches, the Trojan Horse.
...
So, be it a new hat, a box of matches, or a giant wooden horse full of bloodthirsty Trojan, the think you should remember above all else when giving someone a gift is to make certain that you are not giving him something that might provide nosy government agents with information as to your whereabouts."

Oops!

Ethan Cheeseman, his sons Jough Smythe and Gerard LaFontaine, his daughter, Magenta-Jean Jurgenson, their dog Pinky, and Steve, the "snarky" sock puppet, are the owners of a nearly-operational time machine - the LVR. Can they keep it away from their pursuers, decipher the missing launch code, and travel back in time to save the children's mother? Perhaps they can, with a little help from a traveling circus and a cowboy poet.

A Whole Nother Story is a slapstick, sci-fi adventure for readers who appreciate truly silly humor.
(264 pages)
Check out the book's hilarious trailer at http://awholenotherbook.com

http://www.shelf-employed.blogspot.com show less

I needed a lighthearted diversion amidst all the mind-engrossing non-fiction I'm reading. A friend recommended this and it fit the bill perfectly. The book does have a super-silly wackadoodle shell, but underneath it all, it has a big gooey heart and hurtles expertly towards a heart-pounding climax. Some of the jokes are a bit over-reaching, but the book is certainly entertaining. Now back to my grammar and word books.

Dr. Cuthbert Soup narrates the story of Mr. Ethan Cheeseman and his three children who are on the run from the government, international spies, and a super secret organization that is related to kitchen appliances and will take over the world if they get their hands on the super secret device that Mr. Cheeseman has built.

It all started when Mr. Cheeseman met his beautiful wife, and they had three wonderful children. They created a machine that would change the world, but Mrs. Cheeseman mysteriously died... or to be exact, was murdered. Hence, Mr. Cheeseman completed said device and wants to use it to "bring her back" (by going back in time).

Unfortunately, there are people out to get the family, and they are forced to be on the run with show more their psychic dog. So the family makes their way across country trying to lose their nefarious chasers. On the way, they meet up with some strange people and make friends whom they probably will never see again.. all the while trying to get the machine to work.

I loved this story. I think once you're introduced to the characters and then start to realize the gags and such, the story picks up pace. I like how every thing is connected and there for a reason.

I recommend this to children of all ages and adults who love humorous stories, as well as to people of all ages who love good advice, even if the advice seems a bit out there and not at all relevant as you might think it is.

The book is laid out so that Dr. Cuthbert Soup is giving the reader advice and factoids (that might not really be true in every sense, just so you know to let your children know of their dubious reality) while he narrates a story.

The story is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events" and Pseudonymous Bosch's "Secret Series", in not just the humor of the events, but also the writing style. Also... be prepared to have the rest of the series at hand because you will want to continue on to the next book... show less

From Pinky the hairless dog to Steve the sock puppet, the characters are hilarious, and the plot is just zany enough to lure in reluctant readers. I read this one with my 9 year old son (who isn't a great book-lover) and my 11 year old daughter (who will read anything she can get her hands on), and both laughed out loud all the way through. This is one of those books that parents can read to their kids and enjoy them as much as the kids do. Ethan Cheeseman and his three children are on the run. Ethan has invented a time travel machine and both the government and corporate spies are out to get the plans and the family behind it. The kids choose new names each time they have to escape, and each kid tries to outdo the others with more and show more more outlandish name inventions. The children's mother has been poisoned by villains seeking the time machine (LVR), but with the LVR in tow there's constant hope that the family will be able to go back in time and rescue her before the dastardly deed is done. Along the way they run into time traveling pirates hosting a circus show, and a tense ending will leave kids begging for more. Fortunately, there's a sequel, aptly titled, "Another Whole Nother Story." But then, that's Another Whole Nother review too. show less

If anyone ever writes a paper about the legacy of Lemony Snicket, this book should be in Chapter 1. It was thoroughly enjoyable: light-hearted adventure, just enough snarkiness, and a sock puppet. The ending is open enough that I suspect there will be sequels, and I even think there's enough story left to support them.

It will be a great one to handsell once it's in paperback.

This is a very entertaining book filled with intriguing, unusual and sometimes delightfully silly characters. A fortuneteller with short term memory loss, a cowboy poet who rhymes too much, a tightrope walker who has vertigo, a hairless dog who can warn the family of danger approaching from miles away and a one eyed sock puppet who has a mind of his own, are just some of the characters who energize these pages. All these and more are a part of the everyday life of the Cheeseman family on the run from greedy corporate gangsters, government men in suits and an international spy with a chimpanzee for a partner. Why on the run? Well, Mr Cheeseman has or may have a time machine, if he can get it working, that is highly sought after by almost show more everyone. Add to this the invaluable, unsolicited advice, freely interspersed throughout the book at no extra charge by the author and you have a real winner. show less

This book is hilarious, complex and interesting all in one. The pace is fast and I wanted to keep reading to answer the many questions that came up while I read.
Curricular Connections:
*A terrific choice for a book club study
*So many interesting characters to chart and graph including a hand sock puppet