Website of the Cracked Cookies [Large Print] [Hardcover]

Eric A. Kimmel (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2, 2002 | Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Jessica is addicted to computer games -- the more violent the better. Concerned, her mother sends her to a "healthy" online game called Granny Goose's Fun Farm. It looks so stupid that Jessica shares it with her friend, Matt. They soon learn that Granny Goose is evil, and she has taken control of the media with her henchmen -- evil robots with TVs for heads!

Included in Juvenile 10.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-8-This treat for geeks and reluctant readers alike whirls readers at warp speed into a fast-paced adventure. It all begins when Jessica and her friend Matt click on a Web site that takes them to Granny Goose's Fun Farm, which proves to be more than a simple game. Upon entering the Web site, the two friends are spun ("like Toto and Dorothy-on their way to Oz") into cyberspace and down a tunnel (not unlike Alice), where they meet familiar literary and TV characters. After encountering Snow (aka Snow White) and her rock band, No Fairy Tales, the explorers help her elude Granny, who makes "cookies" for many programs-Netscape, Explorer, etc.-and wants to control the characters. The trio rockets into outer space in a Tacomobile fueled by hot sauce. The gravitational force of the media pulls them into Universe Studios, where eventually there is a confrontation with Granny and she is unmasked. With the universe safe, the adventurers are transported back to reality as e-mail attachments. Although the characters are not deeply developed, they are familiar, and, like Snow, most have been updated. The not-so-subtle references to classic literature are a vital ingredient in this humorous poke at the media world. Black-and-white cartoon sketches support the author's offbeat humor. This is one tasty bite, and not without a little nutrition.-Carolyn Janssen, Children's Learning Center of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Review

"When most people hear 'large-print book,' they immediately think senior citizen. But large-print editions of popular children's books -- from the powerhouse Harry Potter series to timeless classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer -- are now making their way onto the shelves of the Children's Department at the Canton Library. . . . Although large-print editions are targeted to the visually-impaired or dyslexic child, they can also be used by standard-vision readers. So Kershner [Children's librarian at the Canton Public Library] has decided against creating a special section in the Children's Department (as exists in the Adult Department) opting instead to intersperse large-print books on the shelves with the regular print versions of the same titles."
-- The Observer and Eccentric (October 2000) (The Observer and Eccentric )

"Thorndike Press has helped me not only find books I want to read, but they also look like regular books. That's important when you're a kid and you can only read Large Print, you want your book to look like all the other books. I'm reading a lot more now that we have found Thorndike Press."
-- Jim Bernardin, Islamorada, FL

"Everyone loves to read, there's nothing like curling up with a good book. We're a reading family, so when our son was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease and only able to read Large Print, it was particularly difficult. Books on tape are wonderful but they don't fill the void of actually reading a good story. Large Print books have been around a long time for older people, but to find a good novel for a young person in Large Print began to feel nearly impossible. The books that Thorndike Press publishes have truly made a difference in my son's reading life. He can enjoy current novels as well as some of the classics that he missed reading when it became too difficult with regular print."
-- Sara Bernardin, Islamorada, FL

"This is one tasty bite, and not without a little nutrition."
-- School Library Journal (School Library Journal )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 107 pages
• Publisher: Thorndike Press; 1 edition (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786241330
• ISBN-13: 978-0786241330
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,402,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Eric A. Kimmel is well known for the tales he has retold from around the world. Some of his best-known titles are "Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins" (a Caldecott Honor book), "Gershon's Monster", "Anansi and the Talking Melon", and "The Runaway Tortilla". A former professor of children's literature, he lives in Portland, Oregon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very wacky and very funny book., September 12, 2001

By 

Rebecca Herman (USA) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Website of the Cracked Cookies (Hardcover)

Jessica's mother is worried about her daughter's obsession with violent video games. So she forces Jess to visit Granny Goose's Fun Farm, an online game for kids. Jess is repulsed by the idea of playing such a disgustingly cheerful game, so she invites her best friend Matt over to show him just how bad Granny Goose's Fun Farm is. They decide to play the game together and get it over with, and find themselves it yet another twisted virtual world. They encounter rapper wannabes with TVs for heads, ride in a car made out of a giant taco, meet some fairy tale characters who have decided to come up with their own happy endings, and learn that Granny Goose is an evil villain controlling this virtual reality. Can Matt and Jess defeat Granny Goose, or will they be trapped in her world forever? Anyone looking for a good laugh would enjoy this book, especially if you are a fan of the first book about Jess and Matt.