The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks [Hardcover]

Dan Elish (Author), Greg Call (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up

Frozen woodchucks are attacking the galaxy! But they're no match for Jimmy and his crew of space travelers . . . or are they?

Meet our heroes:

Jimmy Weathers
An average fifth grader living in New York City who never suspected that the fate of the world would be resting squarely on his ten-year-old shoulders.

William H. Taft V
Jimmy's best friend—the great-great-great-great-nephew of the fattest man who was ever president.

Janice Claytooth
A ten-year-old rocket scientist whose bestselling book Light Speed and You has sold only one copy on earth but millions throughout the galaxy.

Imogene Weathers
A feisty two-year-old inventor with a penchant for turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Will this unlikely quartet discover the mastermind behind the frozen woodchuck attacks before it's too late?

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dan Elish has written television shows, magazine articles, and many books, including The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks, The Worldwide Dessert Contest, and Born Too Short. He also collaborated with Jason Robert Brown on the musical 13. At age 13, he attended his best friend's bar mitzvah in a pair of ripped-up sneakers. Dan lives with his wife and two children in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (January 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061138703
• ISBN-13: 978-0061138706
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,359,625 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, June 26, 2008

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks (Hardcover)

Jimmy Weather's father and sister come home after a walk in Central Park with a fantastic story of finding a gigantic woodchuck that hatched from a pod. Always crafting far-fetched stories in his quest to be a published author, this kind of tale is nothing new from Jimmy's father. And his sister is only two years old. But the next morning, his father is missing, and the only clue is a whisker left in his parents' bed and the thought that something furry brushed against his mother's leg while she lay sleeping. This is the first inkling that something could be seriously wrong.

On a quest to find his missing father, Jimmy and his best friend, William, have Imogene (his baby sister) take them to the place in the park where they first encountered the woodchuck. Into deeper woods than either boy knew existed in Central Park, Imogene takes them to the mysterious empty pod. High up in the trees, they notice some paper containing their father's distinctive handwriting. So now they are sure his father has been taken. But by whom? And to where?

When the police refuse to help, the two boys enlist the aid of Janice Claytooth. Janice is the class freak who insists she's built a fully functioning spaceship. After sharing the bizarre story with Janice, she doesn't even hesitate. She shares her invention with the two boys, and they are off to outer space to search for Jimmy's father.

But the quest for Mr. Weathers turns into an evil plot to blackmail the universe. The woodchucks are sent to planets to consume the natural resources when the home planets refuse to bargain.

With surprise plot twists and evil characters, Mr. Elish creates a truly unique story of space travel. Three kids wind up undertaking the task of saving the world, when they only wanted to find Jimmy's dad. The distant planets that they travel to made me hungry (read it and you'll see why!) and the resourcefulness of the kids was fun. The book is appropriate for all ages. The illustrations by Greg Call added to the quirkiness of the story. This is definitely a book everyone can enjoy.

Reviewed by: Jaglvr

2.0 out of 5 stars A Disappointing Choice ..., September 10, 2011

By 

Molly M. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks (Hardcover)

... by the author made this book unacceptable to use with my fifth grade class. Janice, the main female character, is introduced writing a suicide note. She then says she is struggling to figure out exactly how to do the deed. Perhaps in an attempt to make such a serious subject light-hearted, several far-fetched choices are then mentioned. Too many families have been touched by suicide to ever take the subject lightly. I would strongly caution teachers about using this book in the classroom.

5.0 out of 5 stars Attack Of The Frozen Woodchucks, March 9, 2008

By 

anne h "realtormom" - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks (Hardcover)

My nine-year-old son LOVED this book. Here is his review: "I really liked this book. It was one of the best books I have ever read. It was funny, exciting, interesting, everything I like in a story. DAN ELISH ROCKS!"