Customer Reviews

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook

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You know a book's gotta be good when the first thought that enters your brain after reading it is, "I bet this took the author YEARS and YEARS to finish!" If you're reading a novel then it's probably a good bet you thought that because the story is long and convoluted. But if you think it about a graphic novel, there's really only one reason for that. It must be heavily detailed, complicated, well written, and intense. Meet The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook then. A little book that, at the outset, didn't interest me much. The cover failed to lure me in and the title was meh all over. It really wasn't until my boss handed it to me to read that I decided to give it a go and see whether it was worth checking out. I'm so glad he did too since this is one of the most eye-popping, ambitious, intelligent graphic novels for kids I've seen in a long time. And I can guarantee you that it's like nothing your children have ever seen before.

When Julian Calendar starts school in a new town he is determined to fit in. No longer shall he be unceremoniously dumped into garbage cans for the crime of being a nerd. No! Julian is determined to hide his intelligence and smarts for as long as it takes to fit in. His plans, as it happens, are thwarted when two of his classmates (a girl and a jock) discover his secret and let him in on one of their own. Unbeknownst to the population at large, these kids are science geniuses. With Julian as their third they begin "The Secret Science Alliance". But dark machinations are afoot. When their Invention Notebook is purloined and a local scientist of questionable morality takes credit for their inventions, they are determined to get their property back. In doing so, however, they find that the villain plans to rob the local museum for an item of inestimable cost. Will they be able to stop him in time? Stay tuned, faithful readers.

Since I grew up with comics I've always been a little baffled by adults who tell me that they never "learned to read" comics. There's something about the sequential art that throws them for a loop. They have problems integrating the words and the images in their brains (thereby giving lie to the assumption that comics are less sophisticated than literature and art merely because they combine the two formats). Anyway, I always thought this was a pretty silly thing to say. Reading The Secret Science Alliance, however, suddenly I understand that perspective. It's a logical series of sequences, but Davis is playing with some incredibly sophisticated paneling here. Open up to the first page and you'll see what I mean. The book begins with a four part cause and effect sequence where the arrows containing the "before" sections lead you to see the "after" effects. The first three lead to the right and the last one leads downward. And amazingly enough, on this single page you learn everything you need to know about the character of Julian. Now kids with a love of comics will be able to figure all this out on their own, but it will take some effort on their part. Davis is making you work for her storyline and she's basically warning you of the complexity right from the start.

And speaking of complex, I don't think I've ever encountered a graphic novel for kids this chock full of tiny details. Some of them I'm pretty sure are in-jokes (Julian reads a paper that declares an Ann, E, and Leta as being the number one family in town) but others are there for the noticing (as when Julian is discovered to be excessively intelligent and behind his head the seal of "Operation Act Ordinary" appears with a large "Failed" sticker on top of it). Every single page is just teeming with the tiniest elements (love The Great Kablovsky Skiffle sheet music, by the way). Do you think Ms. Davis would get offended if I called her the Chris Ware of children's literature? Like Ware, Davis has a fine appreciation for a neat cutaway. Her crisp clean lines are indicative of Ware too (though she is diametrically opposed to him in terms of cheeriness). To be fair, let's just say that Eleanor Davis is the literary lovechild of Chris Ware and British artist Peter Cross (with maybe a touch of Jill Barklem for spice).

And can I tell you how much I love a book where a brilliant character does badly in school and it's because he's not good at tests? Davis takes her time thwacking preconceptions over the head when she has a notion to do so. Sure, Julian is pretty much your stereotypical nerd. But Ben is a jock who also happens to be brilliant, though his poor testing convinces him that he's actually dumb. And Greta may appear to be a dangerous maniac at first (Julian's words, not mine) but she's also brilliant and willing to take risks (and not wear pink unless she's in disguise).

Interestingly enough, the book this comic bears the closest resemblance too is a similarly strange concoction that has never been replicated. Got kids inspired to make their own inventions after reading The Secret Science Alliance? I think it's time you handed them Howtoons, a book that uses comics to show kids how to create everything from marshmallow guns to tiny ecosystems. Pair the two books together and you've a miniature Edison in the making. Heck, throw in Sir John Hargrave's Mischief Maker's Manual while you're at it, since Davis is particularly good at working in innovative pranks when she has half a mind to do so. But really, this book isn't like anything else out there. I've had a hard time reviewing it because every time I pick it up I start poring over the pages, finding new things to see and additional things to read. I don't know what else Ms. Davis has up her sleeve, but if she doesn't kill herself with overwork, I hope we can look forward to more books in this series soon. This is the kind of title that rewards the reader over and over again. Kids'll get their money's worth.

We picked up this book at the Decatur Book Festival without knowing anything about it. Both my boys read it and loved, loved, loved it! We were heartbroken that we hadn't gone to Ms. Davis' presentation since they missed the opportunity to meet her but of course, that was before we know how much they would enjoy the book. This ought to hit the children's best seller list.

What did they love about the book? The amount of detail in the drawings was impressive. Also, the side jokes that managed to be knowing but not cynical or snide. It is both a wise and an innocent book, at the same time. If you have brainy kids who sometimes think that they are out of step with the crowd, then they will find a hero in this book.

My son is in second grade and is an avid reader. I have a really hard time finding books that are not scary for him, yet are interesting and not girlie. He usually doesn't get to the end of the not scary "boy" books b/c he loses interest. This was a great find that was very engaging and he had me go on Amazon as soon as he was done to find the next one. That's when I found out it just came out. Let's hope the author is a fast writer. He especially loved the "inventions" and the secret hideout.

Julian can't make any friends because no one appreciates an eleven-year-old science genius. It doesn't help that he looks like a stereotypical nerd with his glasses, small stature and orthopedic shoes. He's tormented by bullies at school and no one cares how smart he is. His scientific experiments are ignored and derided. To add insult to injury, even his parents don't get him. So when his family moves into a new town and he starts at a new school, he's determined to make some friends, no matter what the cost. He decides to act stupid.

Will acting stupid really get him friends? The ploy doesn't work, anyway. He can't stop himself from spouting his knowledge, and then he cowers in fear of what the other kids will do to him.

Much to his surprise, he makes friends. A girl he thought was a punk (Greta) and a boy he thought was a dumb jock (Ben) turn out to also be science geniuses. They form their own group: The Secret Science Alliance. Together they make inventions and jot down their ideas in a notebook. But what happens when the notebook goes missing and someone else steals credit for their work? And what if a person they once respected is the guilty party?

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook is a very fun and cute children's graphic novel. In fact, it can be enjoyed by people of all different ages, including adults. Julian's struggle to make friends, while shown in a funny way, is really sympathetic and understanding. Anyone who's had trouble forging friendships or shamed for their smarts can understand what he's going through. It's also great that smarts win in the end of this book, and Julian realizes it's okay to be a brainiac.

All of the pages are in color, and Davis has some neat techniques in her art, like naming all the parts of Julian's brain (segments include "Da Vinci Vs. Edison: Who Will Win?" and "Periodic Table of Elements"). She also will let character's words cut off into other pictures if she wants to show that the words aren't important or no one's even listening to what's being said. There are a lot of simple and lighthearted touches like these that bring the graphic novel to life and make it such a delight to read.

The Secret Science Alliance's main strong points are its amusing characters, quirky storytelling and unique styles of drawing. This could be an ideal book for a library, including a library at an elementary school or junior high. It also does a good job at showing the strength of learning and intelligence, showing kids it's okay to be "nerds."

My scientific minded, eight-year-old son LOVES this book. The artwork is incredibly detailed and snappy, there's so much to look at! Lot's of fun. Bring on the sequel!

I'm in my forties and typically read 'serious' graphic novels such as Persepolis, Fun Home, Jimmy Corrigan, etc. I saw this in my local public library and picked it up. The drawings and page design are so very creative! The story is excellent, as others have mentioned, but what really grabbed me was the visual style and all the creative artistic devices the author uses. There's more thought put into design and presentation in this book than in most graphic novels aimed at older readers. She's really doing a lot of very successful experiments with the comic form.

Although the topic is science, the book itself is a work of art! I hope there are more episodes of "The Secret Science Alliance" yet to come.

Ultra nerd Julian Calendar has a plan to fit in at his new school. He's trying to hide his super smarts to fit in with the cool and sporty crowd. When Julian fails to disguise his scientific brain in front of his class, he isn't vilified. Instead, the "dumb jock" and the "dangerous maniac" let him in on their own big secret - they're nuts about science, too. Together they form the Secret Science Alliance, soon finding themselves in a battle with the evil, invention-notebook-stealing Dr. Stringer.

Eleanor Davis has created a fun graphic novel with a lively story and incredibly detailed drawings. She breaks down stereotypes and celebrates talented young minds without a hint of sermonizing. The book is so entertaining, we're wishing for more SSA adventures.

It's hard to find books that will entertain and enlighten young readers, but "The Secret Science Alliance" does both very well. First of all, of course, it's an engaging read, with idiosyncratic artwork the equal of any YA or Juvenile graphic novel available today--and not because of gore or bathroom humor, either, but because the bright, detailed images create a world worth spending time exploring. Entire rooms get a sort of Rube-Goldberg-type treatment, with numbered legends that allow the reader to understand in depth the multiplicity of wonders available to them. At the same time, anyone who doesn't want to interrupt the flow of the story can glance at these detailed panels, gather the message they're meant to convey (that this world is rich with detail, or that we're dealing with teen geniuses, for example), and move on at the pace of the story.

The story does makes for satisfying reading, with the main characters fully fleshed out (for the most part) and the minor characters getting memorable cameos. While Julian Calendar (a stereotypical nerd) takes some warming up to (perhaps by intention), the other two members of the Alliance--a rebel and a jock playing geniuses against character--appeal to the reader at once. The moral issues are, of course, presented as black-and-white battles of good against evil (it's a YA graphic novel, and a funny one, after all), but nevertheless the book conveys a complex--and for some kids maybe surprising--message: that science requires a certain sort of heroism--the willingness to risk failure, the courage to approach problems in novel ways--and that science confers its own unique rewards--the thrill of discovery, the satisfaction that comes through hard work, and (most importantly) the opportunity it presents everyone to pursue excellence on a level playing field.

My son picked this out at the library, and although I always loved comic books I've been nervous about my kids liking them too much at the expense of other books.

I'm so glad I gave this a try. It's a riot, cleverly and wonderfully composed, and a celebration of brains and cleverness. If your child or "a friend" (i.e. yourself) enjoys stories of kids doing smart, brave things and enjoys clever, well done art, this is the book for them.

We go to the library every week and get new books to read. But I've **never** seen my son respond to a book the way that he responded to this one. We got home at 2:30pm and he read the book over and over until we called him to dinner at about 6:30pm. WOW! Today he is carrying the book with him everywhere, re-reading it every chance he gets.

I haven't read it yet, but from what I've seen of other reviews - apparently the detail in illustration and the quick storyline keep the kids interested. I'm hoping for a series of books or comics!!