The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis

Mar 27, 2013 Arsh M rated it 3 of 5 stars

I am curently reading The Secret Science Alliance. I am at the part where Stringer steals Juilan,Ben,and Greta's notebook filled with blueprints of
inventions that thay thought of. I think me and Ben have some in common like we both like basketball and like to build stuff.I think the theme of this book is to be who you are and eventuality someone will like you because Juilan was trying to be athletic to get friends but he did so he stuck to being himself and got 2 amazing friends. I think the aut...more

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Jun 25, 2012 Melissa Mcavoy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-books, fiction, graphic-novel, tweens

Age Range: from 7-? The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook has everything going for it: whiz-bang plot with intricate details, super-cool and super-nerdy characters, dozens of awesome kid-inventions, one of the best hideout laboratories ever and an insanely inventive and tireless illustrator whose graphic strengths and story-telling skills are boundless. Eleven year-old Julian Calendar’s move gives him a second chance at junior-high. Trying to avoid being pegged for a nerd, Julian str...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Shel rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade

Davis, E. (2009). The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook. New York: Bloomsbury.

150 pages.

Appetizer: Eleven-year-old Julian is excited to transfer to a new school, hoping that instead of being seen as a nerd by the other students that he can be seen as normal. Julian's plan doesn't quite work out as he planned and he receives an encoded note to join The Secret Science Alliance.

The three alliance members enjoy designing and tinkering with many new inventions in their secret underground...more

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, kid-life, adventure, favorites

Genius Julian is psyched to start a new school. He has a plan called “Operation Act Odinary” to finally be someone other than the smart nerd. On the first day of school he resists raising his hand and exclaims, “Only geeks like chess. I hate chess!” On the second day he can hardly stand it and eventually blurts out a complicated physics answer and immediately earns the nicknames “Einstein” and “Brainiac.” He’s the smart kid again and he’s really bummed!

What Julian doesn’t know is that there are...more Genius Julian is psyched to start a new school. He has a plan called “Operation Act Odinary” to finally be someone other than the smart nerd. On the first day of school he resists raising his hand and exclaims, “Only geeks like chess. I hate chess!” On the second day he can hardly stand it and eventually blurts out a complicated physics answer and immediately earns the nicknames “Einstein” and “Brainiac.” He’s the smart kid again and he’s really bummed!

What Julian doesn’t know is that there are kindred spirits in his school…and they’ve been watching him. Watching and waiting. And then they make contact by encoded message, a message only a fellow genius would figure out. Classmates Ben and Greta show up at the rendevous and induct Julian into their covert club, The Secret Science Alliance. They even have a top secret hideout full of high tech toys and gadgets and all kind of parts to invent things with. Look inside their hideout - a smart kid dream come true!

The kids start to meet up everyday after school and on weekends to work on their projects: the stink-o-meter, nightsneak goggles and a hovercraft, just to name a few. When a rival scientist steals their book of ideas and is sure to use it for his evil plans, it takes all of their genius and gadgets to bring him to justice. Author: Eleanor Davis Award: Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth 2010.

This book is full of colorful, busy, interesting illustrations - it’s a graphic novel so every page is illustrated. There are diagrams of inventions and cutaways so you can see inside things. Make sure you look at some preview pages.

A lot of the pictures look like Rube Goldberg machines. Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist famous for drawing funny, complicated machines that do very simple things…like sharpen a pencil or put toothpaste on a toothbrush. At Rube’s Official Website you can look at a gallery of his drawings. These drawings were inspirations for some of what you see in The Secret Science Alliance. There are lots and lots of details in each picture and the diagrams contain many steps and lots of labels. Purdue has a famous contest each year named after Rube Goldberg. During the contest, students try to build the most complicated machine to perform a simple task. The task for the 2010 contest is…dispensing hand sanitizeer…or course!

For more: http://www.imcpl.org/kids/blog/?p=5397 (less)

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Apr 18, 2011 Maricor rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis (2009)
Graphic Book, 154 pages
Julian Calendar is an 11-year-old junior high student who has trouble fitting in. He looks 8 years old, wears a hand-me-down pink flowered backpack from his mother, and most importantly, is a genius inventor. When his parents tell him that they are going to move to a new town, Julian jumps at a second chance to spark his social life and fit in. At his new school, Julian attempts to be “ordinary” by ha...more

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Dec 08, 2010 Chris Murray rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel, humor

Davis, Eleanor. The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook (2009)
Julian is a nerd complete with glasses, a hand-me-down backpack from his mother, and orthopedic shoes. He’s also super smart and for all of these reasons, he’s picked on by the kids at his school. When he discovers he is moving, he feels like he is getting a second chance to fit in and deliberately plays dumb at his new school. This is harder than it sounds. Julian just can’t stop himself from looking and sounding smart. Sur...more

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Dec 06, 2010 Danielle Larca rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile

Julian Calendar is getting the second chance he always dreamed of. He gets to start over at a new school where no one knows he’s a huge nerd. During “Operation: Act Ordinary”, Julian must pretend he doesn’t know the answer to every question his teachers ask and that he loves sports. The plan works well…for about a week. Julian lets a complicated explanation of aerodynamics slip out during history class and the jig is up. Now he’ll never be popular.

But then he gets a secret coded note that will c...more

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Oct 05, 2009 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

Reason for Reading: Cybils nomination. I also read and enjoyed Davis' first children's graphic novel, Stinky.

Summary: Every day Julian Calendar is teased at school for being nerdy and smart. Then one day his family tells him they are moving and Julian is delighted; he can start all over again. His first day at the new junior high he pretends to be everything he is not but it's not that easy and he slips up in class and let's his brains show. He is secretly contacted by two fellow brainiac invent...more Reason for Reading: Cybils nomination. I also read and enjoyed Davis' first children's graphic novel, Stinky.

Summary: Every day Julian Calendar is teased at school for being nerdy and smart. Then one day his family tells him they are moving and Julian is delighted; he can start all over again. His first day at the new junior high he pretends to be everything he is not but it's not that easy and he slips up in class and let's his brains show. He is secretly contacted by two fellow brainiac inventors and they become fast friends working on inventions every spare minute they have. But it's time for them to form an alliance when a dastardly scientist steals their schematics plan book and hatches a devious plot. Can they stop him in time using only their wits and inventions?

Comments: I wasn't overly crazy about this book, which ends on a note that feels as if it may be the first in a series featuring the Secret Science Alliance (SSA, for short). The plot and the story were actually quite good, a little slow to get going, but once it did I really enjoyed it. The pacing was very well-timed with the tension slowly mounting throughout the story until the ending became very quick and fast paced. The three kids are also very real characters each with their own flaws and as a group they compliment each other and show positive teamwork in action.

My problem is with the graphic aspect of the book. It is too fussy. There is too much going on, too much text, too many graphics. There are diagrams with arrows pointing here and there and zooming in for close ups with text labels naming all the technical parts of the inventions and surroundings. Their are pages of the science notebook shown randomly in scenes written on notebook paper which reminded me of the old Magic School Bus books. Same with the graphics; there are frames within frames and each layout is very crowded. To me the graphic design gets in the way of rather than enhancing or becoming one with the story. I prefer Eleanor Davis's first book, Stinky, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award. (less)

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Aug 28, 2009 Betsy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Betsy by: John Peters

You know a book’s gotta be good when the first thought that enters your brain after reading it is, “I bet this took the author YEARS and YEARS to finish!” If you’re reading a novel then it’s probably a good bet you thought that because the story is long and convoluted. But if you think it about a graphic novel, there’s really only one reason for that. It must be heavily detailed, complicated, well written, and intense. Meet The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook then. A little book th...more You know a book’s gotta be good when the first thought that enters your brain after reading it is, “I bet this took the author YEARS and YEARS to finish!” If you’re reading a novel then it’s probably a good bet you thought that because the story is long and convoluted. But if you think it about a graphic novel, there’s really only one reason for that. It must be heavily detailed, complicated, well written, and intense. Meet The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook then. A little book that, at the outset, didn’t interest me much. The cover didn’t lure me in and the title was meh all over. It really wasn’t until my boss handed it to me to read that I decided to give it a go and see whether it was worth checking out. I’m so glad he did too since this is one of the most eye-popping, ambitious, intelligent graphic novels for kids I’ve seen in a long time. And I can guarantee you that it’s like nothing your children have ever seen before.

When Julian Calendar starts school in a new town he is determined to fit in. No longer shall he be unceremoniously dumped into garbage cans for the crime of being a nerd. No! Julian is determined to hide his intelligence and smarts for as long as it takes to fit in. His plans, as it happens, are thwarted when two of his classmates (a girl and a jock) discover his secret and let him in on one of their own. Unbeknownst to the population at large, these kids are science geniuses. With Julian as their third they begin “The Secret Science Alliance”. But dark machinations are afoot. When their Invention Notebook is purloined and a local scientist of questionable morality takes credit for their inventions, they are determined to get their property back. In doing so, however, they find that the villain plans to rob the local museum for an item of inestimable cost. Will they be able to stop him in time? Stay tuned, faithful readers.

Since I grew up with comics I’ve always been a little baffled by adults who tell me that they never “learned to read” comics. There’s something about the sequential art that throws them for a loop. They have problems integrating the words and the images in their brains (thereby giving lie to the assumption that comics are less sophisticated than literature and art merely because they combine the two formats). Anyway, I always thought this was a pretty silly thing to say. Reading The Secret Science Alliance, however, suddenly I understand that perspective. It’s a logical series of sequences, but Davis is playing with some incredibly sophisticated paneling here. Open up to the first page and you’ll see what I mean. The book begins with a four part cause and effect sequence where the arrows containing the “before” sections lead you to see the “after” effects. The first three lead to the right and the last one leads downward. And amazingly enough, on this single page you learn everything you need to know about the character of Julian. Now kids with a love of comics will be able to figure all this out on their own, but it will take some effort on their part. Davis is making you work for her storyline and she’s basically warning you of the complexity right from the start.

And speaking of complex, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a graphic novel for kids this chock full of tiny details. Some of them I’m pretty sure are in-jokes (Julian reads a paper that declares an Ann, E, and Leta as being the number one family in town) but others are there for the noticing (as when Julian is discovered to be excessively intelligent and behind his head the seal of “Operation Act Ordinary” appears with a large “Failed” sticker on top of it). Every single page is just teeming with the tiniest elements (love The Great Kablovsky Skiffle sheet music, by the way). Do you think Ms. Davis would get offended if I called her the Chris Ware of children’s literature? Like Ware, Davis has a fine appreciation for a neat cutaway. Her crisp clean lines are indicative of Ware too (though she is diametrically opposed to him in terms of cheeriness). To be fair, let’s just say that Eleanor Davis is the literary lovechild of Chris Ware and British artist Peter Cross (with maybe a touch of Jill Barklem for spice).

And can I tell you how much I love a book where a brilliant character does badly in school and it’s because he’s not good at tests? Davis takes her time thwacking preconceptions over the head when she has a notion to do so. Sure, Julian is pretty much your stereotypical nerd. But Ben is a jock who also happens to be brilliant, though his poor testing convinces him that he’s actually dumb. And Greta may appear to be a dangerous maniac at first (Julian’s words, not mine) but she’s also brilliant and willing to take risks (and not wear pink unless she’s in disguise).

Interestingly enough, the book this comic bears the closest resemblance too is a similarly strange concoction that has never been replicated. Got kids inspired to make their own inventions after reading The Secret Science Alliance? I think it’s time you handed them Howtoons, a book that uses comics to show kids how to create everything from marshmallow guns to tiny ecosystems. Pair the two books together and you’ve a miniature Edison in the making. Heck, throw in Sir John Hargrave’s Mischief Maker’s Manual while you’re at it, since Davis is particularly good at working in innovative pranks when she has half a mind to do so. But really, this book isn’t like anything else out there. I’ve had a hard time reviewing it because every time I pick it up I start poring over the pages, finding new things to see and additional things to read. I don’t know what else Ms. Davis has up her sleeve, but if she doesn’t kill herself with overwork, I hope we can look forward to more books in this series soon. This is the kind of title that rewards the reader over and over again. Kids’ll get their money’s worth.

Ages 9 and up.(less)

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Jul 20, 2009 W.H. Beck rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, funny, graphic-novel, middle-grade, science

Out of the huge stack of books my boys collected at the ALA conference last week, this was the very first one that Mr. E (10) picked up and devoured. I know why. With science gadgets you wish were real, a secret club with a way cool hideout/lab in a hidden basement, and three underdog kids saving the world from an evil genius--all told in a graphic novel format by the creator of the Geisel-honor Stinky, no less--it basically screams "boy book!" But even better, it lived up to all Mr. E's expecta...more

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Nov 30, 2011 Wendy added it

Shelves: reviewed

Genre: Junior, Graphic Novel

Summary:

A band of three students find they have a common enemy and pursue him to secure the return of a valuable notebook he has stolen. In endeavoring to regain the notebook, the three set off on a wild set of adventures, helping each other along the way and creating fantastic inventions.

Constructed as a graphic novel, this book is a colorful, action packed tale that gives the reader a wealth of dialogue and visual resources to interact with the story. Each of the th...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Shawn Thrasher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked the first half of this book - and I liked the second half of the book as well. (Artwork aside - I never feel like I'm knowledgeable enough to judge, I just know what I like and what I don't like, and I liked the classic-feeling illustrations in this immensely). But the connections between both halves were sort of tenuous. The first half - what could be called an origin story, I guess - is a very cute look at the life of Julian Calendar (ha ha - his sister and brother are named Gregory an...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Angelica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: juv-graphic-novels, science

When Julian's family moves to a new town, Julian finds that he doesn't just want to be just a nobody, so he says he likes sports and other stuff to fit in. But Julian loves science and he is pretty much a genius. What he doesn't know is the class rebel Greta loves science and so does Ben who is loved for playing sports. They form the Secret Science Alliance and when they find out that a well known and respected scientist, not only is stealing their ideas but he is also planning a robbery. They t...more

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Feb 22, 2011 Penelope rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels, childrens-and-ya, winter-11

I love Eleanor Davis's comics & artwork. She knows how to tell a story. As someone who knows her through her more "adult" work, I was curious how she would tackle a children's story and was excited to see this book at my local library.

Overall, I thought the story was good, albeit simple and a bit predictable. I liked the characters and can definitely see this being the beginning of a series in which the three main characters and their families become more fully developed. I was hoping for so...more

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Sep 03, 2011 babyhippoface rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, graphic-novels, kids-fiction

Things the grown-up me liked about SSA:
- the character of Ben. So sympathetic, this genius-minded boy who thinks he's stupid because he cannot spell well or take tests. I'd like to see him discover more about why he has those difficulties, maybe gain some insight so he can make changes and boost his self-esteem.
- Julian finds a bit of self-worth for himself, as well, and learns to embrace his nerdiness.
- Greta already has a solid sense of self-worth, and a big ol' bunch of it. Confident girl...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, children-s, graphic-novel, middle-grade

Julian, a bit of a nerd, gets a chance to start over at a new school and desperately tries to hide the fact that he knows all the answers. Ben is a smart jock but lacks confidence in his intellectual abilities. And Greta is a smart-as-a-whip girl who constantly wears a bike helmet on her fabulous hair. The three eventually realizes that they are all passionate inventors and form the Secret Science Alliance. Adventures and inventions keep them busy for the rest of the book.

I really liked this gra...more

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Feb 06, 2012 L12aliciacarrera rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novel

The super intelligent Julian Calendar is ecstatic when he finds out that his family is moving because his father is being transferred. He wants to leave school because he doesn't fit in. He detests being thought of as a 'nerd' by all of his classmates and he thinks that he can start fresh at a new school. He soon finds that he has the same problem at the new school. He is desperate to be just like everyone else, so he pretends not to be smart. What everyone else doesn't know is that Julian is a...more

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Jan 04, 2011 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5012, bullies, children-fiction, criminals, good-vs-evil, sequential-art-graphic, bluestem-nominee-2012

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook is a colorful, fun look at kid superheroes (sort-of) who are brainy, nerdy, and inventors, to boot. Deep in their secret hideout, Ben, Justin, and Greta plan, draw, and invent wacky and kid-friendly super inventions. All their drawings are kept in a secret notebook. When a dastardly crooks steals their notebook and inventions, it is up to the trio to make things right again.

Told in graphic novel format, it will certainly appeal to kids, with its...more

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Aug 04, 2009 Scope rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

A humble suggestion:

If you see this book, open it up, flip through it. The sheer amount of creativity and inventiveness is stunning. Eleanor Davis (creator of last year’s Geisel Honor-winning easy reader graphic novel Stinky) takes ideas that have been done before, adds elements that are brand new, churns it all through her imagination, and creates an highly detailed graphic novel that makes most others look half-baked. In doing so Davis proves herself as a talent to watch. The result is a wildl...more A humble suggestion:

If you see this book, open it up, flip through it. The sheer amount of creativity and inventiveness is stunning. Eleanor Davis (creator of last year’s Geisel Honor-winning easy reader graphic novel Stinky) takes ideas that have been done before, adds elements that are brand new, churns it all through her imagination, and creates an highly detailed graphic novel that makes most others look half-baked. In doing so Davis proves herself as a talent to watch. The result is a wildly entertaining book full of humor and action, sure to go down as one of the best graphic novels of ‘09.

The short, geeky Julian Calendar has trouble fitting in. When his family moves to a new town, Julian sees it as his opportunity to finally find friends. His intelligence gets in the way however, as Julian overthinks things and exposes his inner nerd. The situation looks bleak until our hero receives a coded message, leading him to tough-girl Greta Hughes and basketball star Ben Garza. The three become fast friends, practicing their scientific endeavors in a secret underground lab. When scientist Dr. Wilhelm Stringer steals the group’s invention notebook, with plans to pull a museum heist, The Secret Science Alliance use all their know-how (and gadgets) to stop the theft.

Every element of The Secret Science Alliance, down to the use of word bubbles and panels, has been carefully considered and fully realized. The amount of detail makes the mind reel. Cut-aways and diagrams are liberally used, encouraging readers to pore over pages at close range. Not a spread goes by without some sort of unique way of moving the story ahead. Panels that are the shape of arrows, pointing you in the right direction. Panels in the form of clouds when Julian is daydreaming. Panels waived altogether, allowing objects to lay on the page as if they were sitting on a table. It’s a joy to see what comes next.

Funny, yes. Entertaining, no doubt. Magnificently illustrated, to be sure. But it’s more than that. The Secret Science Alliance may be capable of a difficult feat – drawing in readers who have never been interested in graphic novels before. A must add.(less)

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Mar 03, 2013 Nathan Herald rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-challenge

book 148 of 1000

Julian Calender is moving to a new school. Super excited to shed his ubernerd image, Julian thinks he's got it made, until he meets Greta and Ben, two firebrands who harbor similar secrets. All together, they discover that they love to invent crazy contraptions and mess with teachers. Between the three of them, they create a club where they can develop their new toys, but when a surly jerk inventor steals their ideas and starts passing them off as his own, the Secret Science All...more

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May 04, 2013 Brigida rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

Julian Calendar is a nerdy misfit who for the life of him can't seem to fit in. So, when his parents tell him that they are going to move to a new town, Julian jumps at the chance to start anew and finally be normal. However, he fails at such and his cover is blown. When he thought he was doomed to be labeled a nerd forever, he receives a coded note. Being the genius that he is, he cannot resist figuring it out. In turn, it leads him to two clever classmates who are also genuises in their own ri...more

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Jan 30, 2013 Sherry rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't believe I had this one in my library over a year before I picked it up to read! I loved all 3 of the characters even though they were a bit stereo-typical (the tomboy, the jock, the nerd) at first glance. Their mutual love of science brings them together to form the Secret Science Alliance where they design and build cool inventions. Throw in an evil adult nemesis who steals their notebook of invention plans and you've got a great adventure graphic novel! The detail in the illustrations...more

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Mar 19, 2010 Wayne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Finally, a kid's book I thoroughly enjoyed. This is one of those rare joys you don't want to end and pray a sequel might be in the works. The attention to detail, the great writing style and the perfect art to match really threw me for a loop. As with many books aimed at the younger audience, it had a great message- you can't judge a book by its cover. In this case "the cover" would be the characters who you cannot judge by their outward appearance. There's the dumb jock, the troublemaker and th...more

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May 22, 2011 John Krueger rated it 4 of 5 stars

Julian is a transfer student at a new middle school. He is a boy genius and an undercover scientist but attempts to not show it. One day he meets two other secret scientists, and they form the SSA "Secret Science Alliance." They create many inventions, and store their ideas for others in a book. One day that book is stolen by an evil scientist. They decide they are going to break in his laboratory and get their book back! When they get inside they discover that the scientist is planning to break...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Kathleen Behrendt rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction-for-boys, fiction-for-girls, graphic-novels, school-stories

Nerdy Julian Calendar is moving and gets to start over in a new school. He tries not to answer questions and pretends that he is stupid to try to fit it. But, two classmates, Greta Hughes and Ben, discover he is a genius - just like they are. They introduce him to their labratory and inventions. Things get a little sticky when the infamous Dr. Stringer gets involved with the trio and steals their inventions. The illustratins are very intricately drawn, with great attention to detail. The side j...more

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Oct 09, 2009 Kris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: childrens, kids-chapter-books, middle-school, upper-elementary, graphic-novel

For someone who's not naturally drawn to long-format comic books/ graphic novels, I've been reading quite a few of them lately, and this is the most intelligent one I've seen for kids lately. I love the unlikely trio of science whiz kids: the typical nerd who's trying to fit in, the tough chick, and the jock who doesn't think he's smart because he doesn't do well on tests. While the plot isn't hugely deep - the kids thwart an evil "inventor" (who actually stole their ideas) from robbing a museum...more

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Jul 16, 2010 Tracie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: elem, middle-school

Trying to branch out and read some graphic novels so I picked this one up because of a review. It was fun and the details were amazing. Three middle school kids hide behind the persona of scary girl, jock and average boy (well average boy tries to be average) during the school day, but after hours they team up to be the SSA or Secret Science Alliance. They have a cool club house and work on awesome inventions - all of which are stolen by a famous, crazy inventor and used to break into the local...more

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Sep 15, 2009 Chelsea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: graphic-novels

This is a fun graphic novel celebrating science and invention - I know, sounds odd. Julian Calendar would really like to avoid being labeled as a nerd at his new school. Even as he struggles to keep his smarts hidden, two unexpected allies appear. Together, they form the Secret Science Alliance, complete with secret lair. When their inventions are stolen by a copycat scientist, they put their gadgets into action. Great characters, lots of nerdy scienceness, but still action packed and sure to en...more

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Nov 06, 2009 Richard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Secret Science Alliance is ostensibly a kids comic, but it is a great all ages read and way better than much of the serious grown up comics I've read lately. I cannot wait to read more Davis. Her art (kind of a mix of Chris Ware and Jason Little) is densely packed, but clearly navigable and loads of fun to look at. The writing absolutely pitch perfect. If I had read this in 3rd grade my mind would have been permanently blown and I would have no doubt tried to create my own secret science inventi...more

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Apr 21, 2010 Sarah Sammis rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: cybils, borrowed, read-in-2010, pc

The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor Davis won the 2009 Cybils award in the middle grade graphic novels category. It's the story of Julian Calendar coming to a new school and hoping to fit in by being one of the cool kids. Unfortunately he's a diehard geek and he's decided the way to gain friends is to act stupid and uninterested school.

This time though, things are different and not because Julian is successfully pretending to be an average student. Two other classmates h...more

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