Children's Literature
Twelve-year-old Fisher Bas may seem to be like many unpopular, geeky sixth-graders, both fictional and real. With Nobel-Prize-winning parents who created the Bas-Hermaphrodite-Sea-Slug Hypothesis (the name alone is mortifying), he probably cannot help being victimized by the three bullies, whom he calls The Vikings, at Wampalog Middle School. But Fisher has a secret weapon—the secret, highly sought-after Advanced Growth Hormone developed by his mother. The day The Vikings make him throw up in the lunch room on Veronica, the girl he pines for, he deploys AGH to clone himself. Two, as he calls his clone, fools everyone, including Fisher's parents, teachers, and classmates, allowing Fisher to stay safely at home, noshing snacks, playing with his pet pig, and, via his computer, watching Two take his place at school. Two problems, however, threaten to foil Fisher's newly ideal lifestyle. Two becomes popular, partly because he is a trouble-maker, and Fisher does not know how to handle friends, especially Veronica. Furthermore, Two is nabbed by the mad scientist Dr. X, who wants the formula for AGH, and, when Fisher tries to rescue him, he, too, is imprisoned. Using high-tech high-jinks, Fisher blows up Dr. X's compound—and Two along with it. Nevertheless, Fisher realizes that his clone was really another side of himself—the brave, bold, calm side that he could now call upon. Middle-school readers, especially boys, will love this inventive, hilarious, gently up-lifting page-turner, the first title in "The Clone Chronicles" series. Reviewer: Cynthia Levinson