How to Outsmart a Billion Robot Bees

The Genius Factor #2

by Paul Tobin, Katie Abey (Illustrator), Thierry Lafontaine (Illustrator)

It's Friday the 13th again, and for sixth grade genius Nate Bannister, that means doing three more not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. But he has bigger problems than his own experiments. His nemesis, the Red Death Tea Society, is threatening to unleash a swarm of angry bees on the city of Polt if Nate doesn't join their ranks. But then a new group of people with murky intentions shows up -- the League of Ostracized Fellows -- and they want Nate as their own, too. To top it off, he's convinced there's a spy in his very own school.

Nate must once again team up with his new, resourceful, friend Delphine to save the day. They'll need the help of Nate's crazy gadgets, such as his talking car Betsy and super-powered pets Bosper the Scottish terrier and Sir William the gull, if they hope to see another Friday the 13th. Because they might be battling more than just sting-happy bees and villains with a penchant for tea this time around.

Awards for Bandette
Winner, Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic
Winter, IndieFab Award - Bronze, Graphic Novels & Comics

Genres: Middle Grade, Adventure, Humor, Childrens, Science Fiction, Fiction, Robots

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2017

About the author

Paul Tobin is the Eisner-award winning, New York Times-bestselling author of Bandette, Colder, and many other comic books and graphic series.

Bandette, drawn by Colleen Coover, was awarded the Eisner Award for Best Digital Series in 2013, 2016, and 2017; and was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award for Graphic Literature in 2016. His original graphic novel I Was the Cat was nominated for an Eisner in 2015.

The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat , first in his five-book series of middle-grade books, came out in 2016 from Bloomsbury Kids. It was followed in 2017 by How To Outsmart A billion Robot Bees , and How To Tame A Human Tornado in March 2018.

Reviews

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delphine Cooper and her friends’ Pie vs Cake meeting is abruptly ended by a bumblebee invasion. It is only after Delphine’s head looks like a melon and her behind feels like an overused pin cushion that she realizes the date. It is Saturday the 14th, which means yesterday was a Friday the 13th, which means yesterday her genius and easily bored friend Nate did three stupid things. Delphine should’ve known. Now she and Nate must work to keep one of Nate’s brilliant but foolishly built inventions out of the hands of both the Red Death Tea Society AND the League of Ostracized Fellows. Oh, and also keep Nate out of their hands too, because they want to use his mind for their own ends. And Delphine probably should stay away from them as well since they might try to use her to get to him. And since we don’t want Nate to get bored or anything, they also have to save their town from an invasion of bees that can be controlled. With some help from Nate’s talking dog, robot seagull, sentient car, and Delphine’s pet bee, things only seem marginally impossible.

These Genius Factor books are absolutely brilliant in their ridiculous and madcap but smart adventures. Delphine and Nate are a splendid comedy duo, and all of their sidekicks are extremely memorable. This series is a very easy sell to middle graders (and teens and adults) looking for a funny read. And they don’t come back disappointed. Now to get my hands on number three. Highly recommended for any readers who are easily bored, want a good laugh, like memorable characters and wildly imaginative adventures.

Notes on content: No language issues. (Delphine mentions that she swears but it isn’t written out what she says except for her made up swear word, piffle.) No sexual content. Violence is threatened but some people getting knocked out is the worst thing that happens. Oh, and lots of bee stings.

[Malcolm Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hadn't read the first book in this series but, apart from a couple of throw-away references, this wasn't an issue. If this were made for TV, it would be a cartoon, and so this story should be treated as such. Nate is so overly intelligent and his inventions are so far-fetched and the villains are so over-the-top that you need to view the story as a cartoon, otherwise your belief suspense ability implodes, then explodes before hiding behind the sofa.
The story moves along at a steady pace, from one unlikely scenario to the next with a lot of humour injected into each scene. For the majority of the time the humour works at many levels and my son and I enjoyed the story together.
As far as my son was concerned, Nate's dog, Bosper, was his favourite and he particularly enjoyed the opening argument about Pie Vs Cake (though how much of that was down to my yelling CAKE!!! and PIE!!! I can't say). He's certainly interested in reading the first book in the series and would probably be delighted to learn that there are five books planned for this series.
As for his fear of bees... I think Melville the pet bee may have helped a bit.

[Lisa Cobb Sabatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won The Genius Factor: How to Outsmart a Robot Bee Army by Paul Tobin from Goodreads.

Expect the unexpected in Paul Tobin's second book in The Genius Factor series, How to Outsmart a Robot Bee Army. Actually, expect non-stop, fantastical events, complicated or resolved by extremely imaginative inventions.
Middle Grade readers will enjoy this novel narrated by sixth grader Delphine Cooper, as they follow Delphine and her good friend, boy genius Nate Bannister through constant adventures. The young protagonists fight two groups of antagonists with the help of a talking dog and a talking car, as well as their own wits and Nate's genius inventions, in order to save their town and, perhaps, thee entire world.
Middle Grade readers will happily suspend disbelief as they devour this wonderful page-turner.

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems like Friday the 13th is truly an unlucky day and not just superstition as Delphine and her genius friend Nate begin their second attempt at diverting disaster on this auspicious new Friday the 13th action adventure. This time bees are weaponized by the Red Death Tea Society using technology that Nate invented. There is also a second organization after the duo, the League of Ostracized Fellows. Just who are they and why do they want Nate and Delphine? Lots of questions to be answered, wacky new inventions are introduced, and the readers will be on the edge of their seats until the very end, or is it even the end?

I would recommend this book for purchase by any middle school or public library.

This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book was way better! I so enjoyed the witty narrative voice, and it was still there in this sequel. But, the main character started to wear on me midway through. It was still a fun read, overall.

[Karen Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This might be a 4, except I liked the first one better.
For the right kid (I'm thinking reluctant boy readers) and the right age group - well, they would probably love it.

If I were a middle grade teacher I'd definitely have both in my classroom library.

[Renee Mihulka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and a half stars.

[Okys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book to get kids thinking about possibilities

[Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have really enjoyed these books can't wait to read the third!

[Rebecca Goodall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it really funny and cool I want to read it hundred times more but I want to read some more books

[Joshua Chen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was jam-packed with crazy inventions and scientific nonsense! The big-brain kid was called Nate and he made lots of cool things, including a high-tech talking car. Since I love science and technology, I love this book!

I would really recommend this book to children and science or technology lovers. An extremely interesting book!

[Theediscerning · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear. I really quite liked the first in this series, but this sophomore effort is just tiresome. It will probably be fine for the intended audience, but I found it quite lame – the narrating heroine just thumps Nate all the time and gets annoying with nothing much to do, and her vocal delivery is jam-packed with so much pointless quipping verbiage the book feels far too long and light-weight, and is on one sugar-rush note throughout. Ditched on p81, after yet another needling bit of antagonism from our girl, and with nothing much for the reader to react to, except point out things obviously ignored by the story for plot sake, such as the bee in the hair, and the third stupid thing Nate had done.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the battle of good vs. evil, all kinds of tools are necessary: Betsy, a self-driving talking car; Bosper, a math-calculating, talking dog; Sir William Gull, a robotic seagull, robotic bees ... even toe-stub spray? Sometimes that battle forces you to ask questions like ... "How many bees does it take to tip over a car?" But there's always one thing you can count on: it's never going to be easy. At least not when Nathan is involved. "Everyone tries to do things in the normal way. To follow along with the herd. To say the same things. To act the same way and go through the same doors. It might be an easier way to live, but it's not nearly as satisfying."

With Nathan, you never know what's going to be available to you in a crisis situation. The only thing you know for sure is that Nate isn't going to understand sarcasm or subtlety. Which can sometimes be a problem, too. But Delphine loves adventure, which is why she loves spending time with Nathan. "Becoming friends with Nate had restructured by view of the impossible." She just didn't count on getting stung by multiple robotic bees and being kidnapped by Reggie Barnstorm, President of the League of Ostracized Fellows. And that's the least of her worries.

Jakob Maculte, Leader of the Red Death Tea Society, is back and causing more havoc. His bee-summoning transmitter has allowed him to control hundreds of thousands of bees that are poised to attack Polt, unless Nathan is willing to join his tea society. They love that Nathan is so unpredictable, because Maculte, himself, isn't. They also want to get their hands on one of Nathan's newest inventions, the Infinite Engine: a small, self-contained, infinitely self sustainable system. Limitless power. When Nathan refuses, it unleashes an epic battle of crazy moves and counter moves by two genius inventors. And it might just come down to who's crazier. But don't worry ... as far a Delphine is concerned, Nathan is "like ... the best crazy person I know."

A non-stop thrill ride of crazy inventions, outlandish ideas and hilarity. Delphine's sarcastic voice is the perfect narrator as she tries to figure out just what in the world Nathan is saying and doing. But at the heart of the story is a great friendship, based on acceptance of eccentricities. Nathan has few friends because "being smart isn't easy ... socially." Delphine is helping Nathan learn more about human subtleties, visual cues and feelings ... and Nathan is bringing excitement to Delphine life. They remind me of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson.

[Cassie Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The science connections and adventure in this book are amazing! For middle grade readers I find this book intoxicating! I would highly recommend for any females who feel drawn towards science fiction, adventure, *cough*boys*cough*; and for the boys who love anything science, robot, world saving hero, gifted/talented student. I love that the girl protagonist is one who students can relate to and/or strive to be like. This book is humorous, adventurous, and leaves a great cliffhanger! I would recommend grades 3-6!

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book through NetGalley; I received an ARC from the publisher at ALA Midwinter 2017.

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[T.J. Burns]

I received a copy of this book from Bloomsbury USA Children's Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jeana Laurie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was awesome. Just saying. Haha I loved the first one for its zany wording and plot, but it was the real heart packed into the first person POV that really won me over. This second time around was no different. I laughed out loud and took a ride on the feels train, so a real win win. The stakes got a lot higher this time around too, and I really liked how they used that to draw out more character development. Can't wait for the next one, this is a book series by my own heart!

[Bruce Gargoyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this title from Bloomsbury Australia for review.

3.5 stars

Ten Second Synopsis:
Delphine and Nate return in this action-and-bee-sting-packed adventure, with the Red Death Tea Society AND the League of Ostracised Fellows hot on their trails. When Nate invents an Infernal Engine as part of his "do 3 stupid things on Friday the 13th" tradition, it lands him and Delphine squarely in the sights of two groups who will stop at nothing - even bee-driven apocalypse - to get their hands on it.

This is a story replete with silliness, wild inventions and bee stings in sensitive places. I do enjoy the quirky tone and dry yet silly humour that Tobin has created in these books. There is a certain imagery conjured up by his writing that is truly giggleworthy. Nate and Delphine are also a fun pair and the introduction of Melville - a friendly robot bee adopted by Delphine - adds to the action in this installment. Bosper, Nate's genetically modified talking dog stole the show for me in this book however - something about his manner of speaking just cracked me up every time. The plot of this one seemed a lot more straightforward than in the first book despite the inclusion of the socially awkward League of Ostracised Fellows and everybody, including the jealous Betsy the car, had a role to play in saving Polt from bee-mageddon: The Sting-en-ing.

The one quarrel I have with these stories is that the quirky humour, when added to the action sequences, slows down the pace of the story interminably. My edition clocked in at 340ish pages and by about halfway I was ready for the resolution to start coming into play. While the humour is a massively important part of these books, the constant banter does really slow things down when it feels like things should be speeding up.

I can't remember why I didn't finish the first book in this series, but I think it was something to do with the pacing and a lag in the middle. This book does suffer from the same ailment in my opinion, but I got a lot further along in this story before I really felt the lag, compared to the first book. Nate and Delphine are so likable and the style of humour so enjoyable that I would still pick up a third in the series, but I would be hoping that the story overall would move a bit quicker.

[Elaine Aldred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where Nate Bannister is concerned, weird things always happen on Friday the 13th. Not surprising given this is the day Nate indulges in creating a madcap scientific challenge which he has to solve. This time it results in the Red Death Tea Society being on the verge of unleashing a very large swarm of angry bees on the city of Polt, unless Nate joins them. But they are not the only ones wanting to recruit Nate to their ranks. Then there’s a potential spy in his school.
Once again Nate’s non-genius, but highly switched-on friend Delphine Cooper is dragged into the fray, screaming and offering more down-to-earth suggestions in this new madcap outing.
Nate and Delphine are a great paring for this outrageous adventure. Nate may be a super genius, but is somewhat lacking in diplomacy and the social graces. This is something Delphine compensates for, although she probably sometimes wishes Nate was a little less imaginative in his scientific experiments.
If you’re dealing with the outrageous inventions of Nate and encountering bad guy organisations with the monikers of League of Ostracised Fellows and the Red Death Tea Society, you just know you’re in for a ride that outdoes anything James Bond has to offer, and that Paul Tobin intends to deliver manic adventure without talking down to his readers. The book is pitched at sixth graders, but older children might also enjoy the humour and science. Taking sections of the book offers great potential for not only creative writing exercises but also interesting ways of thinking about science and its application.
The perils come thick and fast, making you wonder at what speed Tobin’s mind must perpetually work to create something providing episodes which flow into one another. I must admit I had to take a break every so often to let my brain rest and absorb the tremendous deluge of information. But that’s the fun of the relentless narrative which does not slack as far as plot is concerned.
Even if not all of it might make sense, there’s enough of the madcap story for a reader to enjoy the strange and wonderful ways in which Nate and Delphine get in and out of trouble. The science sprinkled liberally in the text and applied in the most outrageous ways, can actually be related to applications in the real-life, non-fiction world and adds another layer to the book and something for younger readers to go back to when they are older.
Katie Abey’s illustrations are minimalist, yet full of fun and as lively as the narrative, making a great addition to the story.
How to Outsmart a Billion Robot Bees was courtesy of Bloomsbury Publishing via NetGalley.