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Iggy Loomis, Superkid in Training
A hilarious new illustrated middle grade science fiction series for elementary school readers and fans of Captain Underpants!
Iggy Loomis is the weirdest little brother ever—and he’s a huge pain in his older brother Daniel’s you-know-what. But when Daniel befriends Alistair, his new next-door-neighbor, Iggy gets much, much weirder. Little does Daniel know… Alistair is really an alien. When Iggy thinks he’s eating Alistair’s candy, he’s actually eating chemically-coated insects. Yuck! Soon Iggy’s DNA starts to mutate, and Daniel and Alistair have to keep Iggy’s new superpowers from manifesting—before everyone gets in trouble.
“Piles on the yuks…. It doesn't take psychic powers to see how this could be a crowd pleaser.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Allison creates a comically put-upon older brother in Daniel in a lighthearted story that captures the chaos of everyday family life, superpowers or not.”
—Publishers Weekly
Iggy Loomis is the weirdest little brother ever—and he’s a huge pain in his older brother Daniel’s you-know-what. But when Daniel befriends Alistair, his new next-door-neighbor, Iggy gets much, much weirder. Little does Daniel know… Alistair is really an alien. When Iggy thinks he’s eating Alistair’s candy, he’s actually eating chemically-coated insects. Yuck! Soon Iggy’s DNA starts to mutate, and Daniel and Alistair have to keep Iggy’s new superpowers from manifesting—before everyone gets in trouble.
“Piles on the yuks…. It doesn't take psychic powers to see how this could be a crowd pleaser.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Allison creates a comically put-upon older brother in Daniel in a lighthearted story that captures the chaos of everyday family life, superpowers or not.”
—Publishers Weekly
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
About the author
Jennifer Allison
20 books181 followersJennifer Allison is the author of the Edgar-nominated GILDA JOYCE: PSYCHIC INVESTIGATOR mystery series for readers age nine and up (www.gildajoyce.com). The first book in her new series, IGGY LOOMIS: SUPERKID IN TRAINING (www.iggyloomis.com), focuses on the sometimes stormy relationship between two brothers -- Daniel and his younger brother Iggy, who mysteriously develops strange superpowers. IGGY lOOMIS is a smart, funny read-aloud that will engage both avid and reluctant readers.
Ms. Allison holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.F.A. from American University. Her various careers have included work as a news reporter and high school English teacher. She has also held numerous odd jobs — piano player in a shopping mall, assembly-line worker for General Motors, waitress, preschool teacher — that have helped her generate ideas for characters and stories. Jennifer Allison currently lives in Chicago with her husband and three children.
Ms. Allison holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.F.A. from American University. Her various careers have included work as a news reporter and high school English teacher. She has also held numerous odd jobs — piano player in a shopping mall, assembly-line worker for General Motors, waitress, preschool teacher — that have helped her generate ideas for characters and stories. Jennifer Allison currently lives in Chicago with her husband and three children.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 26, 2013
Iggy Loomis Superkid in Training: Attack of the Gobblebox is the perfect book to get elementary school kids excited about reading! From page one, readers will be instantly drawn in by narrator Daniel Loomis (aka “Dano” to his toddler twin siblings Iggy and Dottie), a friendly yet slightly-sarcastic boy who has a passion for robots and outer space. Whether he is forced to share a bedroom with the bed-wetting Iggy or getting into trouble thanks to his snack-obsessed friend Chauncey, Daniel deals with easy-to-relate-to problems of any typical pre-teen...that is until he meets his new somewhat strange next-door neighbor and science buff Alistair who takes Daniel on a wildly dangerous ride that is literally out-of-this-world! Jennifer Allison’s suspenseful storytelling techniques will keep readers on the edge of their seat, while Mike Moran’s inventive illustrations bring the whole crazy adventure to life. Plus, thanks to Alistair’s impressive environmental background, readers will learn all kinds of fun science facts without even realizing it!
July 29, 2013
IGGY LOOMIS is some serious five star fun for the early elementary set. Kids will relate to Allison's character, Daniel, and his exasperation with his high energy brother, Iggy. When a new kid moves to town, the fun really begins. This is a great blend of science fiction and fantasy in realistic family setting. The parents and children have a warm and entertaining relationship; and the neighborhood kids have the kind of rivalry with which all children can identify.
The fast paced plot, robotic gadgets, and silliness will appeal to boys. but girls will also enjoy this book. As with her beloved GILDA JOYCE series, Jennifer Allison has once again created a character that will leave readers waiting excitedly for the next novel. This is a very welcome addition to any home or school library. Public libraries should stock up because readers will be waiting in line to meet IGGY LOOMIS.
The fast paced plot, robotic gadgets, and silliness will appeal to boys. but girls will also enjoy this book. As with her beloved GILDA JOYCE series, Jennifer Allison has once again created a character that will leave readers waiting excitedly for the next novel. This is a very welcome addition to any home or school library. Public libraries should stock up because readers will be waiting in line to meet IGGY LOOMIS.
October 27, 2013
Supergrappig verhaal over een broertje, een mooi horloge, andere planeet en heel veel broccoli. Het jongere broertje van de Loser. Met erg leuke illustraties!
June 19, 2017
I read this book out loud with my six-year-old son and he LOVED it. It's smart and funny and filled with just the right amount of tension. Highly recommended for summer read-alongs!
September 5, 2013
I've had a blast reading Jennifer Allison's "Gilda Joyce" series.Now she's started a wonderful elementary series. Her main characters are wonderfully, funny kids. Daniel has just learned that his younger brother Iggy will be moved into his room. The reason is that he broke his crib. Iggy shared a room with his sister Dottie. She doesn’t want Iggy to move out since they’ve been together all their life. Iggy is ecstatic about the move. His older brother knows Iggy will break things that don’t belong to him. Iggy isn’t in Daniels room any time before he climbs onto the top bunk and in a tug of war over one of Daniel’s toys the mother and father come in. Daniel loses his toys to the gobblebox. The gobblebox is a box where toys are placed until the parents feel the kids have earned the back.
We also meet two other characters. Chauncey has been Iggy’s friend for a long time. However, I found him to be rude and obnoxious. He is not allowed to eat candy yet he goes to Daniel’s house and eats as many sweets as he can find, even rummaging through Daniel’s moms purse to get some gum. He is a trouble maker and blames Daniel for things he does, and gets Daniel in trouble.
Daniel's new neighbor Alistair is a strange kid. He collects bugs, can make toys fly and only eats broccoli. Daniel likes him even though he acts weird and they become friends. But, Alistair has a secret. While Daniel and Alistair are supposed to be watching Iggy he gets into Allistair’s backpack and eats some of his bug specimens. This is going to cause more trouble for everyone involved.
Kids are going to love this book. The drawings are charming, the story line carries you along so much that you don’t want to put it down. I could picture kids reading the book and thinking, “yeah that’s just like my brother.” There will be so many ways they will connect with this book. This is only the first book in the series. I am looking forward to reading more.
We also meet two other characters. Chauncey has been Iggy’s friend for a long time. However, I found him to be rude and obnoxious. He is not allowed to eat candy yet he goes to Daniel’s house and eats as many sweets as he can find, even rummaging through Daniel’s moms purse to get some gum. He is a trouble maker and blames Daniel for things he does, and gets Daniel in trouble.
Daniel's new neighbor Alistair is a strange kid. He collects bugs, can make toys fly and only eats broccoli. Daniel likes him even though he acts weird and they become friends. But, Alistair has a secret. While Daniel and Alistair are supposed to be watching Iggy he gets into Allistair’s backpack and eats some of his bug specimens. This is going to cause more trouble for everyone involved.
Kids are going to love this book. The drawings are charming, the story line carries you along so much that you don’t want to put it down. I could picture kids reading the book and thinking, “yeah that’s just like my brother.” There will be so many ways they will connect with this book. This is only the first book in the series. I am looking forward to reading more.
December 3, 2013
Daniel Loomis has the world’s worst little brother (Iggy). Iggy always breaks Daniel’s toys and he is VERY annoying and he is always getting into Daniel’s stuff. When Daniel meets a new kid next door named Alistair, Daniel is happy because he thinks he can spend more time over at his new friend’s house and avoid being around Iggy. Well it turns out that Alistair is actually an alien and Iggy eats some bug DNA from Alistair’s backpack. Iggy ends up getting super powers from the DNA and now Iggy’s SUPER strong, SUPER powerful and SUPER annoying! What is Daniel going to do?
I think this is a pretty funny read. Ms. Allison really gets the relationship between Daniel and Iggy. The brothers are so totally believable (then you get to the fun fantasy alien DNA part ;) ). Daniel is a great character. He is a lot like me, I have a younger sibling (although I have a younger sister not a brother but I don’t think she ever ate bug DNA but who knows?) and I like to build things. The book has a fun story that isn’t real involved, but it makes it perfect for younger kids and reluctant readers. The simple black and white illustrations are all throughout the book and really add to the story. Overall, I think this silly story is especially perfect for boys. I really liked the ending to the story and am looking forward to a sequel!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think this is a pretty funny read. Ms. Allison really gets the relationship between Daniel and Iggy. The brothers are so totally believable (then you get to the fun fantasy alien DNA part ;) ). Daniel is a great character. He is a lot like me, I have a younger sibling (although I have a younger sister not a brother but I don’t think she ever ate bug DNA but who knows?) and I like to build things. The book has a fun story that isn’t real involved, but it makes it perfect for younger kids and reluctant readers. The simple black and white illustrations are all throughout the book and really add to the story. Overall, I think this silly story is especially perfect for boys. I really liked the ending to the story and am looking forward to a sequel!
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
November 12, 2013
Dan's little brother is moving into his room and he is not happy about it. Iggy breaks everything and he throws huge tantrums. Then Dan meets new kid Alistair who only eats broccoli, collects bugs, and makes awesome robots. Dan's friend Chauncey is curious about Alistair and a little jealous of Dan's new friendship. Everything is fine until Iggy eats some of the bug specimens in Alistair's bag. Turns out Alistair is an alien and Iggy now has bug DNA. This is a crazy story that will appeal to fans of Captain Underpants. The story is no where near plausible, but that won't stop kids from enjoying the humor and silliness.
December 30, 2012
In terms of goofy middle grade humor, Iggy Loomis is pretty solid. Daniel has a little brother who's barely potty trained, but gets his DNA mutated by an alien box thing that lands in their closet. It's up to Daniel and the alien to make things right while keeping Iggy from turning into something he shouldn't.
This book is not groundbreaking by any stretch, but doesn't have to be, either - as a younger-ish Captain Underpants-style book, it works really well even if it's probably not the best first choice in a lot of cases.
Worth a look, closer to a 3.5.
This book is not groundbreaking by any stretch, but doesn't have to be, either - as a younger-ish Captain Underpants-style book, it works really well even if it's probably not the best first choice in a lot of cases.
Worth a look, closer to a 3.5.
April 8, 2014
Okay book. It was a fast read. I liked it, but it was not what I expected. I expected it be more about Iggy, not his brother Daniel. It ended up being pretty cute in the end. Iggy reminded me a lot of my son, and Daniel reminded me of my other son. Then there was Dottie - Iggy's twin sister. And of course I had my own daughter's image floating in my head - even Dottie's personality was similar to my daughter's personality. Fairly good book.
October 27, 2013
Ontzettend grappig, hilarisch verhaal boordevol leuke illustraties over irritante broertjes (en vrienden), buitenaardse krachten en buitensporig veel broccoli. Grappig is ook de Slokop, een doos die speelgoed opeet. Een aanrader voor fans van de Loser-boeken en voor iedereen die zin heeft om een grappig boek te lezen waarom je soms hardop moet lachen.
May 30, 2013
Five of my fellow Library Media Specialists read this book (along with two 3rd graders) and we all recommend it! Children siblings will relate to this story and it's good for reluctant readers. Enjoy!
November 24, 2013
Most kids hate to share a room with their siblings. Daniel does not enjoy having Iggy in his room. The story builds with the addition of Allistar and then Daniel, Iggy, and Allistar have an adventure that rocks their world. Oh! The bugs and Iggy. You'll have to read it to find out.
March 30, 2014
Het boek bleek veel beter dan ik verwachte. Het is een echt verhaal, met zelfs een lesje genetica. Het is spannend en op een bepaald punt MOET je blijven lezen, want de problemen worden te groot. Het is een boek voor jongens die van grappig en spannend houden. Voor alle jongens dus.
January 16, 2014
Great fun. Kids will love the sibling relationship complicated by alien powers. Daniel's voice is instantly lovable. Cartoon illustrations. This one will be a kid pleaser.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews