The Attack of the Frozen Woodchucks
by Dan Elish

    THE ATTACK OF THE FROZEN WOODCHUCKS by Dan Elish
    Illustrated by:  Greg Call
    Category:  Science Fiction
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 6+
    Release Date:  1/8/08
    Publisher:  Laura Geringer
    Reviewed by:  Jaglvr
    Rating:  5 Stars


    Jimmy Weather’s father and sister come home after a walk in Central Park with a fantastic story of finding a gigantic
    woodchuck that hatched from a pod. Always crafting far-fetched stories in his quest to be a published author, this
    kind of tale is nothing new from Jimmy’s father. And his sister is only two years old. But the next morning, his father is
    missing, and the only clue is a whisker left in his parents’ bed and the thought that something furry brushed against his
    mother’s leg while she lay sleeping. This is the first inkling that something could be seriously wrong.

    On a quest to find his missing father, Jimmy and his best friend, William, have Imogene (his baby sister) take them to
    the place in the park where they first encountered the woodchuck. Into deeper woods than either boy knew existed
    in Central Park, Imogene takes them to the mysterious empty pod. High up in the trees, they notice some paper
    containing their father’s distinctive handwriting. So now they are sure his father has been taken. But by whom? And
    to where?

    When the police refuse to help, the two boys enlist the aid of Janice Claytooth. Janice is the class freak who insists
    she’s built a fully functioning spaceship. After sharing the bizarre story with Janice, she doesn’t even hesitate. She
    shares her invention with the two boys, and they are off to outer space to search for Jimmy’s father.

    But the quest for Mr. Weathers turns into an evil plot to blackmail the universe. The woodchucks are sent to planets
    to consume the natural resources when the home planets refuse to bargain.

    With surprise plot twists and evil characters, Mr. Elish creates a truly unique story of space travel. Three kids wind up
    undertaking the task of saving the world, when they only wanted to find Jimmy’s dad. The distant planets that they
    travel to made me hungry (read it and you’ll see why!) and the resourcefulness of the kids was fun. The book is
    appropriate for all ages. The illustrations by Greg Call added to the quirkiness of the story. This is definitely a book
    everyone can enjoy.