From Publishers Weekly
Thousands of miles from the high school halls of Slave Day and Rats Saw God, Thomas delivers an action-adventure novel largely set in the rain forest of Brazil. Thirteen-year-old science whiz Grady Jacobs finds junior high a snore. He lives for his botany experiments, which have made him National Science Fair champ for two years running. To his great pleasure, Grady's r?sum? earns him a spot on a research team working to save the rain forest. But the team leader, Dr. Carter, has assumed Grady is a college student, and when he realizes his mistake, he promptly saddles the boy with all the scut work. Grady masters the chores, then finds time to do his own projects, which include learning to control the movement of plants and trees using sound waves. In the process Grady also discovers something dangerous and evil: unbeknownst to the native peoples and the research team's U.S. benefactors, Dr. Carter is populating the rain forest with genetically engineered poison trees. While this book is aimed at a slightly younger audience than Thomas's previous YA titles, Grady's knowing, flip tone will appeal to Thomas's older teen fans. Grady's botanical talents skirt the fantastic and many readers may find themselves slowed by several discussions of scientific theory. But those who stick with it will find plenty of compelling situations. The author, who is also the creator and writer of the TV series Cupid, brings his screenwriting experience to bear as well; he provides the kind of exciting visual detail usually associated with action movies. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Grade 6-8Grady Jacobs, a 13-year-old botanical genius, is invited to participate in a rain forest study supported by international business interests. He has won several science fairs, and his research into the cloning of plants has interested Dr. Phillip Carter, head of the reforestation Embryo Project. When Grady arrives in Brazil, he is relegated to grunt work. In between gathering food, cooking, and cleaning, he investigates Dr. Carters New Forest, a grove of super-growth trees used to reforest a clear-cut area. The secrets he discovers send him fleeing into the wilds, with Dr. Carter hunting him at every turn. Befriended by members of a local tribe, the newly named Green Thumb must fight to stop the deadly Embryo Project and save his own life. Thomas has created a middle-school version of his earlier heroes, a joking smart aleck whose humor draws readers into his world. Too sure of his own intelligence, Grady is bored by school and anyone his own age, especially the local bullies. His botanical research has been conducted like his social lifecold, clinical, and as faraway from others as possible. Through his struggle to survive, Grady learns the importance of valuing different kinds of intelligence. The vitality of the rain forest forces him to realize that research in a vacuum cannot answer vital questions. Our hero ends up a better scientist, people smart, and a little humble, which is an appealing combination.Mary B. McCarthy, ACLIN/Colorado State Library
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
