The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley [Paperback]

Betty Dravis (Author), Kristy Soza Ardizzone (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The dialogue is delicious and fresh as the story flows with ease. Betty Dravis has created an original, witty, imaginative, and just all out brilliant work of genius. I see an award winning comic strip and movie in the future for this amazing piece of literature... - Barbara Watkins, author of "Hollowing Screams"

Betty Dravis knows how to weave intriguing stories. Children all around the world will love this fun, exciting, fantasy adventure. -- Hon. Rod Diridon, Sr., Executive Director of the Mineta Transportation Institute, SJSU

Dravis is an amazing storyteller. Kids of all ages will fall in love with this story. -- Victoria Taylor Murray (Author), “The Shadow of her Smile”

The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley is a fun romp of Computer Cartoon Land characters ... both good and bad. -- Chris Platt, author of the young adult, award-winning Willow King books

The young and young at heart will enjoy this battle over Silicon Valley as Jeremy tries to save the day. -- Paul Kyriazi, movie director, author of How to Live the James Bond Lifestyle

We are honored that our region is featured in this story and show-cased as a center of innovation and creativity. -- Cindy Chavez, Vice-Mayor, City of San Jose, California

From the Publisher

Betty Dravis flaunts her wonderful imagination in "The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley". Clearly she has a knack for penning stories for children. The plot line is fresh and the characters lifelike. The story will appeal to children of all ages for a number of reasons. Jeremy is an industrious boy glued to his computer, distraught because his parents argue all the time. The setting is Silicon Valley commonly known to many as the Computer Technology Realm.

Betty Dravis's ability to communicate with children must come from the large close knit family that surrounds her. In fact the illustrations both inside and on the front cover of the book was done by her grand daughter.

The storyline is the first of its kind, comparable to classic books such as "The Wizard of Oz", and "Peter Pan", where children experience an adventure outside the norm and overcome obstacles or enemies. I see a great movie waiting to happen because this story will appeal to the masses. The facts are: many American children have personal computers in their homes and vivid imaginations, and other movies involving computers such as the "Matrix" and "You Have Mail" have been successful at the box office.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Paperback: 164 pages
• Publisher: Just My Best (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1932586296
• ISBN-13: 978-1932586299
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,257,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

"Betty Dravis is a fantastic mix of Shirley Jackson, Edna Buchanan and Janis Joplin. Don't ask me how I came up with that unlikely comparison--I just feel it, and I haven't been drinking much tonight...." - Mark LaFlamme, author of "Dirt: An American Campaign"


"Betty Dravis's ability to present real people, places, and things in the midst of a fantasy story is very close to what I strive for in my own writings. Characters with last names and problems who live in real places, but still have fantastical things happen to them, make for a wonderful story. "The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley" is truly a modern "James and the Giant Peach" or "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" kind of tale." - J. H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles.

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Betty Dravis is a retired, award-winning California journalist and newspaper publisher who also hosted a Cable TV talk show. She was listed in several Who's Who books, is an honorary Kentucky Colonel, an esteemed "Dame of Dialogue," a member of American Author's Association, former member of Sigma Delta Chi and San Jose Newspaper Guild. She is the recipient of many California awards, including city, county and state and was a San Jose Woman of Achievement.

In addition to co-authoring this latest book, Dream Reachers II, Dravis also co-authored the award-winning Dream Reachers (with Chase Von). This talented woman is also the author of three novels: 1106 Grand Boulevard, an epic romantic thriller; The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley, a young adult fantasy adventure; and Millennium Babe: The Prophecy, a supernatural mystery adventure. She also has a number of published short stories and writes reviews for Midwest Book Reviews and is an Amazon top reviewer.

Canterbury House Publishing will release two of the above books in eBook format in May 2011: 1106 Grand Boulevard and The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley.

Dravis was born in Ohio, but is a long-time California resident. She has four surviving children, two angels in Heaven, nine grandchildren, four "greats" and a great-great granddaughter. The author now lives in Central California where she's working on her first serial-killer thriller. For more info, visit her website: bettydravis.com

Betty is also working to promote Stem Cell Research, along with her daughter Mindy James whose son Seth suffered a spinal cord injury in a motocross practice race. Read Seth's story on the Internet at Bridges to Hope.

Another of Dravis's favorite things is interviewing; among those she has interviewed are the "living legend" actor/director/producer Clint Eastwood, country singer/actress Tanya Tucker, the late actress Jane Russell, the late Senator Ted Kennedy, Tanya Tucker, the late San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto, actresses/singers Katherin Kovin Pacino and Marissa Autumn, actor/producer/director Tony Tarantino and many more...the list keeps growing. Please see the Celebrity Section of this website.

Of writing, Betty always says, "It's exhilarating--like sliding down a rainbow with a huge smile on my face, filled with love for the whole of God's magnificent creation." She laughs as she adds: "Yeah...and marketing is like trudging through a field of 'chewed' bubblegum on a hot, sticky day." :-)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hans Christian Anderson, you of the old school, step aside, June 8, 2005

By 

DC - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley (Paperback)

Toonies is what I would call a modern, high-tech fairy tale, probably one of the first of its kind. Hans Christian Anderson, you of the old school, eat your heart out!

The narrative is interesting and easy to follow, briskly paced and engrossing. There are many clever fantasy story devices and flashes of imagination, like the whole premise of cartoon land and its inhabitants and "secrets," like the idea of clicking on a cartoon character's right eye to get him out of the computer, or Toonies eating ink rather than human food.

Betty Dravis also uses a lot of "young" terminology that will appeal to kid readers, especially. Additionally, that whole plot involving the Mischief-Makers was very suspenseful and kept me turning the pages, especially as the story wound down at the climax.

Good character development; I got a good sense of what most of the main characters were like: Oh that Dab, he was just PURE EVIL. I'm glad he was stopped from carrying out his malevolent plan. I also like the parents subplot or Orange Computer subplot. My only minor criticism is I would have liked to see this subplot more developed.

I also like how Uncle Wom always says "Golly-by-golly," and I like the "Pronto-Toronto," the "Hmph-by-hmph," the "Sheesh," and "cheep-cheep," and words like "girlykins," "kiddo," and so on that are peppered throughout. Uncle Wom has a unique vocabulary, slightly reminiscent of Olde English, which makes him very endearing.

In conclusion, the Mischief-Makers remind me of the demons who joined Lucifer (Dab) in rebellion against God (Uncle Wom). Just a symbolic or metaphorical interpretation behind the literal one.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ABOUT THE TOONIES, August 20, 2005

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley (Paperback)

My Dad got this book from the Reno library for me. He thinks it's real clever. Me too ... I liked the way the TOONIES got into our world. Jeremy is a smart kid. I'm glad his parents let him solve his own problems. That was way cool. Wish mine would do that.

Maybe this author could write another one, and let the Toonies visit Reno next time. Good job, lady!

Tucker from Sparks, Nevada

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing and Engaging, My Type of Story, May 6, 2005

By 

J. H. Sweet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley (Paperback)

I love all types of fantasy, but this tale is particularly close to my own heart. In fact, it is my favorite type of story: Vivid characters and events are first grounded in reality to make them believable so that the jump into the fantastical draws us in completely. After we are a part of the story, the imaginative events take over to both amaze and amuse us.

Ms. Dravis' ability to present real people, places, and things in the midst of a fantasy story is very close to what I strive for in my own writings. Characters with last names and problems who live in real places, but still have fantastical things happen to them, make for a wonderful story - truly a modern James and the Giant Peach or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory kind of tale. I am also impressed by how well a female author is able to portray such a believable boy character. All of the characters are engaging and real, with their daily struggles and triumphs; and this helps make the story real as well, though it is also a lovely escape.

In fact, it is so well done I am tempted to compare it to one of my favorite television shows - Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, which to me is entirely plausible, given the vast number of very real imaginary friends I have known in my life. This book has the power to appeal to all ages and types of people. I would definitely recommend it.

J.H. Sweet, author of The Fairy Chronicles