Popular Clone

The Clone Chronicles #1

by M.E. Castle

"Castle’s debut, the first in a planned series, strikes just the right balance of humor and action and is sure to keep young readers turning the pages. Fisher’s struggles to fit in, to relate to girls and to uncover and preserve his true self feel genuine, making him a misfit and unlikely hero worth rooting for."— Kirkus Reviews

Meet Fisher 12 years-old, growth-stunted, a geeky science genius, and son of the Nobel Prize-winning creators of the Bas-Hermaphrodite-Sea-Slug-Hypothesis. No Fisher isn't exactly the most popular kid in his middle-school, tormented daily by the beefy, overgrown goons he calls The Vikings. But he senses relief when he comes upon the idea of cloning himself--creating a second Fisher to go to school each day while he stays at home playing video games and eating cheetos with ketchup. It's an ingenious plan that works brilliantly, until Fisher's clone turns out to be more popular than him--and soon after gets clone-napped by the evil scientist Dr. Xander.

Also available in simultaneous e-book edition (ISBN 978-1-60684-301-7).

Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Humor, Childrens, Young Adult, Fantasy, Chapter Books

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

M.E. Castle is a writer and actor working in the glorious center of the universe, New York City. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2008 with a degree in Theatre and has written a number of short stories, only a handful of which have ever been seen by an audience wider than his closest friends.

Throughout his college years, he was one of the leading writers of the noir detective radio drama The Dead Hear Footsteps, to which he also lent his vocal talents.

Popular Clone is his first novel.

Reviews

[kwesi 章英狮 · Rating 3 out of 5]

'For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every geeks, freak, or nerd, there are three massive and ruthless meatheads. Ergo: the universe does not like geeks.'

-Fisher Bas, Scientific Principles and Observations of the Natural World (unpublished)

How do you know if you are a normal kid in the world? Do you have the geeky glasses and nerdy brain? Or clones that will help you survive school or another mad scientist that will stalk your life forever? This geeky book really made my day, it was fun to read a kid with power of intellect and more than that he had a brain with Einstein level of intelligence. I wish I was like him except for being weak.

Fisher Bas, a kid having hard time running to the Vikings (bullies), had the power to make impossible things happen. Making robots, gadgets, plans, charts that normal kids can't. He is special and gifted with too many neurons to absorb and parents that are superbly and authentic scientists. He is not normal anyway, he always made others worst.

Because of his will to stay away from school and to build his own laboratory, he did an experiment that will transform his life forever, except he used a formula that nobody must have. He created a clone of himself, better than him; brave, friendly and brainier than. Things are in accordance to his will, unfortunately, everything turns upside-down when the mystery mad scientist, Mr. X, happened to clone-napped Fisher 2.

This book is very informative, not because I'm not an outstanding student in my class, but because the characters had this probability, theories and debates that sensing ones knowledge to its limit. Swear, you won't distinguish whether this kid is real or what (of course it wasn't, he is just a character in the book). Inventions are made to make our lives easier and in fact, I have new ideas gathered from the book. Unfortunately, I don't know how to start these things.

I recommend this book to all geeky kids out there who needed inspiration and so on. Don't be dumb weak kids; everything has its own strands of destiny, everything always have lessons in the end that everyone will realize that it wasn't too late to make a change. Always expect something special in the end and most of the time, be careful of those people whom you thought that they are your true friends.

Fools! You will never defeat me!

-Prince Xultar of Venus, enemy of Vic Daring, approximately 3.1 minutes before being defeated

Pigs or Sus domesticus are one of the common sources of food in the world. Imagine, how many tons of fats human consume every year? Anyway, does it matter? For those kids who needed a pet pig like Fisher you can ask your parents to buy the new trending pet, the Asian pot-bellied pig. Swear, I'm hoping to own one but I have to wait for the price to jump low.

Super thanks to NetGalley for sharing a free copy of the book and I'm glad I did read this; this made my day after failing hardcore exams. I nearly forgot, thanks to Egmont USA for making impossible things possible.

Review posted on the day that the mighty one will create something surprising.

Rating: Popular Clone by M.E. Castle, 3 Sweets

Challenges:
Book #248 for 2011

[Marly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me hate grapes.

[Xander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fisher Bas is a 6th grader who gets tormented by a group of three kids that he calls the Vikings. They are always waiting for him, to bash him on the head with the biggest book they can find, give him a swirly or something else along those lines. One day, Fisher just gets tired of it. So he comes up with a solution-cloning himself with the AGH (Advanced Growth Hormones) that his mom invented, which is something that world-known Dr. X(ander, no, I am not kidding! his name is Xander!) wants to get his hands on. After a sleepless weekend, lots of work and many different attempts, Fisher creates his clone. When his clone comes to life, he thinks a woman from a Spot-Rite ad is his mother so Fisher creates a fantasy for his clone to believe-that they are trying to get their mother back and they have to go to a place to train (AKA Middle School) for their enemies. Then, after a few days, Two (Fisher’s clone’s name) becomes more popular than him! He has friends, is known around school and stands up to the Vikings. Can Fisher change Two’s ways before something bad happens and they realize Two is not Fisher? In a wacky middle-grade story of adventure and clones, Fisher strives to be as good as his clone, and fights the evil Dr. X after a very shocking twist in the plot in a wonderful debut.

What I thought about it:

Popular Clone was a great book. I think this was a strong debut for M.E. Castle, and fans of middle-grade sci-fi will enjoy it. I have been reading a lot of sci-fi lately; Mila 2.0, Cinder, Scarlet–they all have something to do with sciency stuff like clones, androids and cyborgs. I thinking the idea of cloning yourself is interesting-and very complicated. It would be hard to keep a secret that there are two “You’s” out there. I also loved the other science aspects in this book: the inventions that Fisher has created and the Bas’ garden. The tomatos are the size of beach balls, and the bananas are the size of baseball bats. It’s like taking your garden and multiplying the size! Now that is awesome. I loved the drawings throughout the book of Fisher’s inventions-they help you understand what they are talking about/using in the story. Also, the battle at the end was pretty epic, with lots of action and chases. The book ends with a BIG cliffhanger, though. Thankfully I had the second book available BWAHAHA! So overall, a great book for fans of middle-grade stories and adventures.

XanderStars:

Action: 8 out of 10 XanderStars

Suspense: 8 out of 10 XanderStars

Well-Written: 9 out of 10 XanderStars

Page-Turning: 8 out of 10 XanderStars

Overall: 8 out of 10 XanderStars
Read more reviews at: www.mybookwormblog.wordpress.com

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

available Jan 24th, 2012

publisher EgmontUSA


Marketing Info:

Meet Fisher Bas: 12 years-old, growth-stunted, a geeky science genius, and son of the Nobel Prize-winning creators of the Bas-Hermaphrodite-Sea-Slug-Hypothesis. No surprise: Fisher isn't exactly the most popular kid in his middle-school, tormented daily by the beefy, overgrown goons he calls The Vikings. But he senses relief when he comes upon the idea of cloning himself--creating a second Fisher to go to school each day while he stays at home playing video games and eating cheetos with ketchup. It's an ingenious plan that works brilliantly, until Fisher's clone turns out to be more popular than him--and soon after gets clone-napped by the evil scientist Dr. Xander.

I received this book for review from NetGalley.

The book Popular Clone by M.E. Castle revolves around a young boy named Fischer Bas. We all either knew or were a Fischer Bas in school. The geeky, nerdy kid who blew the curve in science class. This kid picked on by the bullies and ignored by just about everyone else. The kid who's at the bottom of the popularity grid. Well, this kid is different. He feels so despondent he decides to use his mother's genetic invention to clone himself. To create a new Fischer to take his place at school. A new Fischer who can bear the brunt of the bullies attacks. Well, things don't work out as planned. A mad scientist is trying to steal Mrs. Bas's invention. The cloned Fischer, called Two, is captured and boy do things get fun.

This book is a voyage of discovery for Fischer. By creating another Fischer, he discovers not only who he really is, but who he wants to be. Kids will enjoy Fischer's adventures with his clone and the mad scientist. They will learn a valuable moral lesson, without realizing it. The author of this book. M.E. Castle is a gifted writer with a talent for turning the down and out geek into a hero. I read this book to my 10 year old son. He is neither a bully nor a genius. He was yelling out loud- "Get the bullies" and "Go Fischer!" during many parts of this book. I think kids, both boys and girls, will love this book. Some will relate to Fischer, others will know someone like Fischer. Either way, a great story. The end is left open enough for further adventures of Fischer and Two.

A great book for parents to give their children. It deals not only with bullies but with a young boy learning self confidence and acceptance. 5/5 stars for this book!! M.E.Castle has a winner on his hands!

[Cheryl Malandrinos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh, I can't tell you how much the girls and I laughed while reading this book. Not only do you have a unique take on bullying, between the crazy inventions, hilarious artwork, a flying pig, and the antics of numerous characters, how can kids not love this book. What I enjoyed most is that it tackles the topic of bullying in a light, fun manner. Bullying is a serious issue. And what this book teaches kids-though they might not even know it-is that there is a time when you will come into your own. That just because you've been a victim of bullying once, doesn't mean you will be forever. Fisher's journey after creating Fisher Two is one fueled by his jealousy over his clone's popularity, that is then tempered by his desire to save his genetic counterpart when he's in danger. Fisher must move outside of his comfort zone and see what he is made of in order to rescue Fisher Two. It's not easy for every victim of bullying, but the more books that provide young people with relatable characters who do face up to or deal with their bullies, the more empowered these victims will be.

Middle-grade boys are sure to love Popular Clone for its antics and adventure. But girls will find many things to like about it too. Fisher and Fisher Two are great characters that provide tons of silly moments, and some tender ones too. Any youngster who enjoys science will get a kick out of this book.

Highly recommended.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

really dramatic and silly,i loved it

[Sena · Rating 4 out of 5]

5. Sınıf boyunca en sevdiğim kitaptı çünkü fisher kendini klonladıktan sonra klonu okulda çok havalı şeyler yaparken kendisi evde wikipediadan bir şeyler okuyordu

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bullies have populated our world from the beginning time, and as most teachers know, there are plenty of bullies in today's classrooms. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is relieved that bullying is being addressed so frequently in trade books for children and young adults. Hats off to C.J. Bott and all her efforts through The Bully in the Book and in the Classroom to make sure teachers and parents are aware of these books. This title isn't just another title dealing with school bullies. While it's true that Fisher Bas, 12, faces the Vikings, a group of athletic types, who make going to school pure torture for Fisher [Love his name, by the way!], Fisher comes up with a plan to avoid them by creating a clone of himself who can go to school while he stays home, hangs out with his pet named Flying Pig, and conducts experiments. Part of what seems to make Fisher a target for the thugs in his school is that he is different from them. The child of two scientifically gifted parents, he's a science geek with plenty of science talents but few social skills. In fact, it's hard for him to even talk to a girl without getting his tongue tied in knots. When his experiment works better than he expected, Fisher Two goes off to school and faces the boredom of school. But Fisher Two is not exactly the same as his creator. Rather than tolerating the verbal and physical abuse from the Vikings, he ends up behaving in ways that make him popular with his classmates. The bullying and self-esteem themes play out against the backdrop of parents who often seem too self-absorbed to see what their child is enduring as well as a plot from an evil scientist Dr. X who is intent on gaining access to the Advanced Growth Hormone Fisher's mother has concocted. Amid all the mayhem and plotting, I laughed and laughed at the antics of both Fishers and savored the bullies getting their just desserts. I loved getting to know Fisher and Fisher Two and watch both of them grow and change. I can't wait to see what happens next. How great it is to

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Fisher] wished more than anything that he felt even half as comfortable in a crowd of other twelve-year-olds as he did when surrounded by test tubes and bubbling solutions. If telling a joke or talking to a girl were half as effortless as splicing bacterial DNA, Fisher would be the most popular boy in school.

-----

It used to be great being the kid of two genius inventors. When he was little, all the neighborhood kids loved to come over and play tag around the cucumber forest, or try to beat the refrigerator at a game of chess. Then, a few years ago, it was as though a switch flipped in everyone else's head. Suddenly, people who were curious, who wanted to learn new things and explore the world, were nerds.

-----

Fisher reached down to scratch his pet pig, FP, under the chin. FP was an unusual pig. In fact, he was a Flying Pig. His parents had once gotten into a debate about adding on additional lab space to their house. Fisher's father had told his mother that he'd agree to expand the property "when pigs fly." His mother had taken this as a challenge and won her new lab expansion by biologically engineering little FP.

-----

Fisher can do everything but get along with his peers and fit in at school socially. His favorite tactic is to do his best to be invisible to everyone and hide from the constant bullying he receives. One day when his strategy isn't working well enough, though, he gets fed up and decides to avoid school altogether by cloning himself, planning to let his clone go to school in his place while he hides out in his lab at home. Except Two, his clone, has a different strategy for dealing with school and bullies: head-on confidence. Suddenly there's a new Fisher in town, except it's not Fisher, and he worries all the attention will get him discovered. Of course, none of that will matter if evil scientist Dr. X steals his mom's growth hormone, and Dr. X will stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Will Fisher learn enough about confidence from Two to stand up to the scientific bully?

[Hollowspine · Rating 3 out of 5]

What's a genius inventor to do when the bullies at school make him their personal target? Send a clone to school in his place, obviously! The story of Popular Clone takes a common secret wish of many a geeky, bullied child and spins the tale to it's conclusion.

Turns out it's not easy managing one's life when there are two selves to keep up with, especially when one's clone turns out to be as well-liked as one was disliked. Fisher Bas is a genius, but his school life isn't what one might call pleasant. Most days he spends hiding from the "Vikings" a group of typical school bullies.

Both his parents are also inventors and brainiacs. Although they try to assure Fisher that eventually his peers will value him for his intellect, Fisher doesn't want to spend another second waiting. He's tired of being the victim...but rather than face his fears head on, Fisher has a better idea. Why not let his clone deal with school while he lounges at home getting on with his own ingenious inventions!?

So, Fisher takes advantage of the AGH (accelerated growth hormone) his mother is developing to grow Fisher Two. Fisher Two, however, seems to have some strange ideas...after seeing a commercial he's convinced his mother is the Spot Right lady. Fisher has to convince his confused clone that in order to re-unite with the Spot Right lady he must face and defeat the foes at Middle School.

Thus his clone's take over of Fisher's middle school begins. Soon Fisher finds himself creating more and more elaborate lies, sneaking around and confronting things he would have run screaming from before. Add a nefarious evil scientist to the mix and Fisher's life turns catastrophic.

The story is fun and really has a sense of childhood hijinks and both what kids do to skip out on school and what they do while skipping. It was pretty nostalgic for me, I can't remember how many times I've wished for a clone to take my place while I munched on snacks and played video games at home!

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS
I liked it but wonder about what age would read it. Their are a lot of big words. I am not sure if the kids would know the words or would look them up. I know I was bad at looking up words when I was in school
Fisher is a 12 year old who is really smart. His parents are too in fact they are all scienists and inventers. Even have won a noble prize. Fisher is picked on and bullied by the vikings 3 bigger kids. He is shy and wants out of school maybe start collage.
His mom invented a flying pig because his dad said when pigs fly so of course they invented FP. One of his parents invented talking appliances, big vegatables that could only come into the garage they were so big. His mom was working on a new chemical that made things grow fast.
Fisher got the idea to take a little and break it down so he could make more and clone himself. So the clone would go to school and deal with the bullies and other problems their. Fisher through trial and error made a clone of himself in a three day weekend.
The clone Fisher calls him Fisher two or just Two for short. Well Two saw a commercial and thought the mom on it disappeared was their mom. Two also read wikipedia got a lot of knowledge from their. Two became popular fast made lots of friends, fought the vikings back,played jokes got called to princable office.
Doctor X was evil scientist that was trying to find out the formula His mom invented. Two different times his spies tried to break into house while Fisher was hiding and scared them off.
It used science, and smarts to invent stuff, action to take care of bad guys and stand up too bullies.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review by Netgalley.
01/24/2012 PUB Egmont USA

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fisher Bas is a 12-year-old boy genius. He is the main target of "the Vikings", three bullying boys who make his middle school life miserable. He is the son of two brilliant, if not a bit misguided, scientists. He has a flying pig, a table that sets itself, kitchen appliances that talk, and many other interesting household features that were cool to his friends when he was in elementary school, but now make him a target. His skinny arms, small stature, and insecurity doesn't make things any easier. Then, he decides to try his mom's new cloning serum and make a clone of himself to send to school so he can stay at home and relax. Too bad his clone turns out to be more popular and well liked than he ever was. Turns out Fisher 2 makes friends the first day, doesn't take any junk from bullies, and speaks his mind freely. He also likes to play pranks and has a way with the ladies. Can things get worse? Sure they can! An evil scientist knows as Dr. Xander kidnaps the clone, not realizing what he has, and tells Fisher's parents they must hand over the cloning serum if they ever want to see their son again. Since Fisher failed to ever mention he had a clone, you can imagine the trouble he's in. Instead of telling his parents the truth, he launches a rescue mission full of cool spy tools and mishaps to save his clone. Will he succeed? Will Dr. X get the cloning serum and use it for evil? This is the first in a series, so take a guess! This novel reminded me of a cross between a lower grades Alex Rider, Ricky Riccota, and Captain Underpants with the bullying topic thrown in for added drama. Overall, I found the story silly and predictable, HOWEVER, I think it would have wide appeal to boys in grades 3 through 5. This is exactly the kind of thing they would enjoy.

[Ellie K · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book, a super-genius, nerdy, and bullied kid named Fisher clones himself and sends his clone to school instead of himself, so he doesn't have to get picked on. Unexpectedly, though, his clone becomes the most popular guy in the school! And Fisher ends up in more trouble than he could have imagined...
I think that this book has a good plot and plenty of twists, but it was kind of predictable. I found myself accidentally skipping paragraphs because I just wanted the author to "get on with it." The plot was great, but cloning is probably one of the most popular plots in the world, other than time machines. I also thought that what happened at his school is nothing like what would happen in real life, like when the teacher couldn't stand up to the bullies, even when they started going through his cabinets and threatening his class pets. And also when the parents knew about the bullies but didn't talk to the principal or anything about it - they just tried to encourage Fisher that it was all going to be OK. I don't think any of this would have happened in real life - it just sort of seemed ridiculous to me.
What I DID think was cool about this book was that it took place in Palo Alto, and the main character was 12 and in 7th grade. I feel like I kind of related to him in a few ways. I also liked a few of the minor characters, like the talking appliances, flying pig, and pancake making robot (I want one!!!). Over all, I gave it three stars, because it still kept me interested enough to read it to the end.

[Kaleena Melotti · Rating 4 out of 5]

My daughters and I had so much fun reading this book. It's full of laughs, a few tender moments, science experiments, plans and diagrams, and a flying pig!

Fisher Bas is the 12 year old geeky scientific genius son of scientific geniuses. He's bullied by The Vikings (his nickname, not theirs) and tired of it! And, what would any scientific genius do? Create a clone to deal with school in his place, of course! (Wish I'd been a genius with an awesome laboratory in my house when I was in middle school...)

I think this book definitely hit the nail on the head with it's wittiness, but real subject of bullying. Though the main character is a boy, I think girls and boys alike will thoroughly enjoy this story.

With its strong descriptions, but not over the top explanations, everyone can enjoy the science-y aspects of the story without feeling bogged down. Fisher's amusing little doodles and lists throughout the book also add a dimension to the story that I rather enjoyed. You could see what Fisher was discussing rather than just read about it.

I have to admit one small flaw - the book seemed to take a bit to really get into, but once you get past the who's who and what's what and into the story, you'll be flying through it with giggles. (Honestly, it's not much at all. Just the beginning. But, it's all necessary.)

I think that this book should be on school bookshelves and available for all kids to read. It was *that* good.

[Lanae · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is tough to review... if I were reviewing only the second half of the book, it'd be 5 stars but the first half is more like 2-3 stars. Getting kids (or adults who like childrens books) to the really good part of this book will be the tough part. I had to put it down for a bit, come back to it, and just trooper through and yup eventually it paid off.

The first half of the book is the set up -- introducing us to characters and explaining just how Fisher (our main character) could possibly think he could make himself a clone in the first place. I mean sure school is tough when you attend a school where the Vikings (no not THOSE vikings) bully everyone so badly that even the adults run in fear. So obviously the answer is to clone yourself and let the clone go to school for you. But cloning? When even your mother hasn't pulled it off? And a flying pig sidekick? You'd think that kind of story would just well... fly by. But nope, it was slow, didn't have the kind of character development it could, I almost gave up on it. It really takes until about 100 pages or so in for you to really start caring about this book... that's the bad.

The good? If you can stick with it and get to that point this really is a fun book. That's where we learn what happens when you get what you wish for... and just how much trouble it can be to fix it.

[Brandi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read another review for Popular Clone that indicated the hard part would be getting kids (or adults) to get to the good part of this book. I'd have to say I agree. I actually expected to really enjoy this book as I love all things geeky or nerdy and as a school counselor I enjoy finding new books that portray bullying. Yet it took me a while to get through this one, and at times I was forcing myself to read it rather than enjoying the story. It's not that Popular Clone is bad, in fact it's quite good and I'm sure it will appeal to a great many students out there. It was simply very slow for about the first half of the book. I was mildly surpised by who the real villian turned out to be (and also a little disappointed). Fisher's inventions (as well as his parents') seemed ludicrous, but I'm sure child readers will enjoy them. This book doesn't really teach kids how to deal with bullies, but it does send the message that running away is not the answer. It also gives the smart kid time to shine which is something kids really need to see. Overall I'd say 'meh' describes how much I enjoyed this book on a personal level, it's definitely aimed at the kiddos. But I'd happily put a copy on the school bookshelf.

[P.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

12 year old science geek Fisher Bas is bullied at school by the Vikings, three boys twice his size. When he complains to his equally science-y parents, they tell him things will get better as he gets older. Fisher doesn't believe it and decides the only thing to do is steal some of his mother experimental AGH (accelerated growth hormone) and create a clone of himself to send to school. With only his flying pig FP for company, Fisher embarks on his project. Sure enough, he creates Fisher-2 or Two. Two is an immediate hit at school - standing up to the bullies, pulling pranks, and flirting with girls. Things go downhill when the mysterious Dr. X kidnaps Two and holds him for ransom to get the AGH. Now Fisher must don his Spy Suit complete with his spyly gadgets to rescue Two. I loved Fisher. He was such a character with all of his inventions complete with blueprints and diagrams. It was hilarious that FP also has a pigly Spy Suit. Fisher's revenge on the Vikings, which involved trained mosquitoes, was laugh-aloud funny. The author suggests there will be sequels.
PS - I choose to overlook the middle school boy humor.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Aid for Fairies and Other Fabled Beasts by Lari Don is a children's book for readers around 9 and older. Helen wants to be a musician, not a veterinarian like her mother, although she has retained some of the knowledge and skills her mother has tried to teach her. That knowledge comes in handy when she finds an injured horse, which is not just a horse. Soon Helen is caught in a quest with mythical beast to help them right a wrong that their own curiosity set into motion. Helen and her new friends need to solve riddles to find a very special book before the evil Master of the Maze can. While on these adventures Helen must also stay in the good graces of her parents, protect her younger sister and master a fiddle solo to attend a summer camp with some of the best musicians in the world. A collection of Scottish landscape, folklore and fables are intertwined with the adventure to keep readers enthralled.

My complete review is available here on Yahoo! Voices.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fisher has had it with the bullies at school. It seems the only friend he has at school is his science teacher. And talking to girls? Forget it. So, he decides to use his mother's experimental cloning invention and creates "2". 2 goes to school for him while Fisher stays home. But 2 doesn't act like Fisher at all. In fact, he's making friends left and right and becoming one of the most popular kids in school. He even takes on the bullies. Fisher is afraid, and he is right, that someone is going to notice the difference in his behavior. But when he tries to reign 2 in, 2 won't listen to him. How do you control a clone that is out of control? And was it really ethical for Fisher to send 2 to school to fight his battles with the bullies for him? And what happens if someone finds out about this cloning invention?

Entertaining science fiction for younger kids with some good discussion points about friendship, scientific ethics and being yourself.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn’t wish they could sometimes clone themselves rather than face harassing bullies at school, in the neighborhood or at the office? I received an advance copy of “Popular Clone” from the publisher and was drawn immediately to the character of Fisher Bas and the struggles he faces as a middle school boy. Unlike my own middle school experience, however, Fisher has the brains and the know-how to solve his problems by cloning himself and sending his clone into the battlefield of Wampanog Middle School to face his enemies, the Vikings. Of course, things don’t go exactly as Fisher planned – and not everyone is who they claim to be. The result is an action-packed story with the just the right mix of evil genius, misfits, bullies and mad scientists sure to keep middle school readers engaged to the bitter end.

[D.J. Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fisher Bas is the genius inventor-scientist child of two genius inventor-scientist parents. After a string of social disasters, Fisher clones himself and sends the clone to school in his stead... and, to his surprise, the clone thrives. Meanwhile, a mysterious recluse inventor-industrialist wants to steal Fisher's parents' inventions, and there are bilious ducks whose pristine peat moss habitat is threatened.

This book has fun illustrations of Fisher's inventions or chalkboard-style elaborations of his theories throughout, which add significantly to the charm. Its plot is a bit meandering and it sometimes overeggs the pudding (the C-3PO-sounding intelligent toaster was too much for me, personally), but it's clever and I think boys who see themselves as smart, nerdy and funny will really like it.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book seemed overly silly and ridiculous (think Michael Buckley's NERDS) but it really picked up after that. If you can get past a silly/not terribly enticing beginning, I think you will have a blast. I certainly did. The story gets much more entertaining once Fisher starts working on creating a clone and Two enters the picture. I also really liked the character of the toaster (Lord something-or-other) - a sentient electronic with an upper class British accent - who weighs in from time to time. Despite the fact that it escaped some of the initial silliness, I still think this would be a fabulous recommendation for fans of Buckley's NERDS series. Personally, I liked it better.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure why but this book seemed like a cross between Phineas and Ferb and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. It takes a long time to get into the book which, unfortunately, means a lot of readers will put it down and never finish it. Even during reviewing I kept drifting off with disinterest during the first half. It did pick up and get better and the remainder of the book moved quickly and was a cute, humorous tale that will appeal to mainly a younger male audience. As some other reviewers mentioned, the vocabulary is going to be a bit daunting for the younger levels but more advanced readers should have no problem.

ARC Galley Proof

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars/Fiction;Youth

Fisher Bas is a student at Wampanog Middle School. While being bullied by a group of boys that Fisher refers to as "The Vikings", he decides that cloning himself would be better than having to endure any more school. After a successful clone, he sends Two in his place but as can be expected, things rarely turn out as planned. When things spiral out of control, Fisher must think fast to keep from spoiling his secret.

This was a fun book that is sure to keep it's audience engaged and entertained. The story is a bit slow to get started, but once it takes off--- it is one wild adventure.

[Cathe Fein Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fisher Bas is a geeky 12-year-old, without friends and tormented by overgrown bullies. In an effort to avoid going to school, he creates a clone to go for him--but his plan backfires when his clone refuses to fade into the background and becomes one of the popular kids.

When I started reading this book, I was thinking--here we go, the same old theme of the geek that doesn't fit it. But then we meet Fisher's family and all of their crazy inventions, and when Fisher creates his clone, the book became more and more fun--not to mention spies and plots thrown into the mix. Recommended for 8-12 year old boys--especially fans of Cheesie Mack and Jacob Wonderbar.

[Melissa Riggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for boys-my 9 year old son wants to read it. About Fisher-a middle school genius who has trouble with bullies at school. His parents are both scientists and he "borrows" part of his mom's experiment to clone himself-with interesting results.

"Fisher’s struggles to fit in, to relate to girls and to uncover and preserve his true self feel genuine, making him a misfit and unlikely hero worth rooting for."

[Aubrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was able to read an advance copy of this book (to be released January 24, 2012) via NetGalley. It started out a little slow, but picked up quickly and I fell in love with the main character. It's an excellent read for middle school-aged kids and gives a light-hearted message on the woes of school bullies/ being an 'outcast.' I definitely recommend it for young readers.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amusing science fiction/fantasy novel for pre-teens. It blends many real issues of middle school such as bullying, dull classwork, feeling misunderstood and difficulty relating to the opposite sex with fantastical scientific imagination.

It is the first in a yet-to-be-written series and is very likely to appeal to its intended age group.

[Great Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventh grade science geek, Fisher Bas, is tired of getting bullied at school. Fisher clones himself, so Fisher-Two can take the schoolyard abuse and he can stay safe at home. But wait - his clone is popular and confident! Did something go wrong?
Reviewer 20

[Brandi Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book with my son.
I love the way it was written and laughed at some of the "geek" comments and perspectives. I could relate to Fisher and being the odd kid out during school.