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Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century #3
Spaceball Star
Meet Zenon, a futuristic fifth grader who lives in a space station high above Earth. Her humorous stories are all reality-based, so kids can identify with her situations. In book #2, Zenon is thrilled when she makes the spaceball team! Unfortunately, she's not so good at it. But does that mean she should quit? Created by past recipients of the IRA Classroom Choice Award.
Paperback
First published June 1, 2001
45 people want to read
About the author
Marilyn Sadler
74 books48 followersWith a degree in fine arts, Marilyn Sadler assumed she would be an illustrator. But when early in her career she was presented with an opportunity to write, she seized it and quickly discovered that she had found her true love. No sad, sappy stories for her, however. She likes to make herself laugh, and with that her characters usually end up looking pretty silly for one reason or another.
Her first children’s book featured a fastidious little English boy named Alistair Grittle and was originally created for the English publisher, Hamish Hamilton, as well as for Simon & Schuster in the United States. Having created a boy with such perfect behavior, she then turned her attention to a not so perfectly behaved little boy. His name was P.J. Funnybunny, and he has existed in a series of books for Random House, including the highly prestigious Dr. Seuss Cat In the Hat series.
Marilyn’s television credits include two PBS Reading Rainbow programs featuring Alistair, an Alistair program for the BBC, three ABC Weekend Specials featuring P.J. Funnybunny, and a show based on her children’s book, "Elizabeth and Larry", for Showtime’s Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.
Between 1999 and 2004, The Disney Channel produced three Original Movies based on her book, "Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century". Each of Disney’s Zenon movies had exceptionally high ratings, with Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century and Zenon the Zequel among the highest rated shows in the history of The Disney Channel.
In 2004, Playhouse Disney began production on Marilyn and Roger Bollen's animated series, Handy Manny. Handy Manny premiered September 16, 2006, as the highest rated Playhouse Disney series premiere of all time. In 2009, Marilyn was nominated for an Emmy Award as Executive Producer of Handy Manny.
Her first children’s book featured a fastidious little English boy named Alistair Grittle and was originally created for the English publisher, Hamish Hamilton, as well as for Simon & Schuster in the United States. Having created a boy with such perfect behavior, she then turned her attention to a not so perfectly behaved little boy. His name was P.J. Funnybunny, and he has existed in a series of books for Random House, including the highly prestigious Dr. Seuss Cat In the Hat series.
Marilyn’s television credits include two PBS Reading Rainbow programs featuring Alistair, an Alistair program for the BBC, three ABC Weekend Specials featuring P.J. Funnybunny, and a show based on her children’s book, "Elizabeth and Larry", for Showtime’s Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.
Between 1999 and 2004, The Disney Channel produced three Original Movies based on her book, "Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century". Each of Disney’s Zenon movies had exceptionally high ratings, with Zenon, Girl of the 21st Century and Zenon the Zequel among the highest rated shows in the history of The Disney Channel.
In 2004, Playhouse Disney began production on Marilyn and Roger Bollen's animated series, Handy Manny. Handy Manny premiered September 16, 2006, as the highest rated Playhouse Disney series premiere of all time. In 2009, Marilyn was nominated for an Emmy Award as Executive Producer of Handy Manny.
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March 19, 2020
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I went from having no idea that one of my favorite Disney Channel Original movies growing up was based on a book to being slightly obsessed with this series.
Recently, I enjoyed reading the original picture book and was excited to see there was also a chapter book series. This is the second book in the series (sadly, my library did not have the first book), but I don't think you really need to know anything going in so it can be read as a stand-alone. In this one, Zenon wants to join the spaceball team, but has some difficulties because of her small size. The book does a good job incorporating lessons about friendship, hard work, and problem solving.
This was a great read. The chapters are fairly short and there are fun illustrations to break up the text. It was helpful to have Zenon's Guide to Space Station Slang at the end as there are quite a few unfamiliar terms used throughout the story ("inky", "scorch", "quasar").
Fun read. I'm really loving this series so far. Can't wait to read the third book.
I went from having no idea that one of my favorite Disney Channel Original movies growing up was based on a book to being slightly obsessed with this series.
Recently, I enjoyed reading the original picture book and was excited to see there was also a chapter book series. This is the second book in the series (sadly, my library did not have the first book), but I don't think you really need to know anything going in so it can be read as a stand-alone. In this one, Zenon wants to join the spaceball team, but has some difficulties because of her small size. The book does a good job incorporating lessons about friendship, hard work, and problem solving.
This was a great read. The chapters are fairly short and there are fun illustrations to break up the text. It was helpful to have Zenon's Guide to Space Station Slang at the end as there are quite a few unfamiliar terms used throughout the story ("inky", "scorch", "quasar").
Fun read. I'm really loving this series so far. Can't wait to read the third book.
Displaying 1 of 1 review