Science Fair Frenzy

February 13, 2023
Chaos reigns as Sunbright Middle School prepares for an upcoming talent show in the first of a pick-your-path graphic novel series by Smiley (the 10 Little Monsters series). At the end of each scenario fragment, readers are presented with options; each corresponds to a different page in the book, propelling the chosen narrative toward a sequence of decisions that will shape a new and unusual story upon every read. Opening with tween stage manager Megan Hathaway running late for school, a vicious attack by angry seagulls nets two possible choices: Megan can either run away, or hide. So begins the first of many possible adventures in which mayhem follows Megan everywhere she goes as she endeavors to put on an incident-free talent show; animal acts go awry, ailing performers flee the stage, Megan is mistaken for a bank robber, and her pet hedgehog, Vincent, goes missing. While slim exposition occasionally requires logic leaps, high-energy, vibrantly saturated illustrations populated by bobble-headed characters render the 25 possible story endings—which range from mundane to slapstick—with enticing humor. Drawing tutorials conclude. Most main characters are portrayed as white; the school principal is depicted with brown skin. Ages 7–10.