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The Mutant Mushroom Takeover

Summer Rachel Short (Goodreads Author)

4.33 · Rating details · 42 ratings · 22 reviews

Ever since Magnolia Stone’s scientist dad left Shady Pines to find a new job, Maggie’s been stuck in her gramma’s mobile home with her grumpy older brother, Ezra. Now she’s on a mission to put her family back together by winning the Vitaccino Junior Naturalist Merit Award.

When Maggie and her best friend, Nate, a wannabe YouTube star and alien conspiracy theorist, scout out ...more

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Published September 22nd 2020 by Simon & Schuster for Young Readers (first published 2020)

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· 42 ratings · 22 reviews

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Nov 18, 2020 Permanently_Booked rated it it was amazing

Shelves: giveaways-arcs

The blurb states that if you're a fan of Stranger Things and Lightning Girl you'll enjoy this book. I agree but I also think fans of Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Scooby Doo and Goosebumps will adore Maggie and Nate as much as I did.

Though written for middle grade bookworms, I devoured this in a day and a half. It was light, creepy, goofy-funny and nostalgic. Not to mention everything that I learned a long the way. Yes, I said learned. The scientific facts that grace these pages were so intriguing I ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Summer rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

I had such a fun time writing this book! Of course, as the author I'm partial, but I hope readers get a kick out of my main characters––aspiring naturalist, Magnolia Stone, and her best friend, conspiracy theorist/wanna-be YouTube star, Nate Fulton, the mysterious happenings in Old Man Bell's woods, and all the spooky mushroom hijinks they bump into along the way.

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

...more

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Sep 23, 2020 Paula rated it it was amazing

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover is a fun read full of all kinds of cool and gross science. The main character, Maggie, is a super smart, eleven-year-old science geek who uses her knowledge to save her brother and her town.

Any young science nerd is going to love this fast-paced story.

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Jan 19, 2021 Rajiv rated it it was amazing

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I loved reading “The Mutant Mushroom Takeover” and thought it was a fantastic Middle-Grade mystery adventure! Think “Stranger Things” meets “X-Files” in a middle-grade genre, and this is your book!

Let me begin by saying that a book is always extra special when I learn something new from it. Even though the story is a mystery, I learned quite a lot of nature facts. For instance, Ophiocordyceps is an actual fungus! The story i ...more

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Jan 18, 2021 Sammie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: from-publisher

You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.

Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this book. The cover looks delightfully creepy, and a little ’90s sci-fi to me. I figured I’d enjoy it, but I wasn’t prepared to enjoy it as much as I did!

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover is a perfect blend of science, paranormal, and mystery. It’s just scary enough to get your heart racing, but not too You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.

Many thanks to the author for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I had absolutely no idea what to expect going into this book. The cover looks delightfully creepy, and a little ’90s sci-fi to me. I figured I’d enjoy it, but I wasn’t prepared to enjoy it as much as I did!

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover is a perfect blend of science, paranormal, and mystery. It’s just scary enough to get your heart racing, but not too scary for young readers.

I think the cover and title are a little misleading, since they make me think of classic horror movies like the big bug movies … except with mushrooms. That is not what this is at all! It’s science at its best, with a compelling mystery, adorable characters, funny banter, and more of a “something’s in the woods” type of a horror feel. And I loved it!

My Thoughts:

- I am just loving this trend of female protagonists who excel at STEM, and Maggie is no exception. I loved Maggie as a character. She gets her love for science from her father, who happens to be … wait for it … a scientist! And isn’t that often how it starts? Maggie’s love for science is still in that pure childhood phase where everything is just amazing and the world is full of wonders out there left to discover, and I think it will appeal to a range of readers, regardless of whether they’re science buffs or not. The best thing to me about Maggie’s love of science is the way it gets slipped into the story, in small, unassuming chunks that’ll leave the reader with something to take away and file for later. The best learning happens, in my opinion, when one doesn’t even realize they’re learning, and this book excels at that. Maggie’s full of interesting sciency facts that get slipped in, and in the end, the mystery is approached and solved using the scientific method, which I absolutely love!

- Take heed: there’s something in the woods! *makes spooky fingers at you* This is by far one of my favorite horror tropes, especially in middle grade. Maybe not the best for me to read, because I am a stone’s throw away from the woods in my backyard, but hey, what can I say? I like to live dangerously. And, you know, not sleep. What exactly is in the woods? Well, Maggie’s best friend Nate hopes for aliens … or maybe a cryptid? Instead, they find … science! What a bummer, right? But it’s not quite as simple as that, when Old Man Bell ends up collapsing and dying in front of them, but not before he gives the kiddos some pretty spine-chilling and ominous warnings. As far as creep levels go, I’d give this four mushrooms out of ten. It’s just spooky enough, without being too much for younger middle grade readers.

- Nate and Maggie make an interesting, and often hilarious, team! They may seem like unexpected friends at first blush, with Maggie firmly grounded in science and Nate more of a conspiracy/paranormal buff. Yet, it’s clear that they’ve been friends for a while and their friendship is solid. I absolutely loved the banter between these two characters! They’re just enough different that it leads to some fun situations. Not to mention that the way Nate sees the world is unique in its own right. Even when they were in the thick of things and the story was starting to get scary, Nate provided a lot of much-needed humor and levity at just the right times!

- The mystery in this is super fun and requires teamwork and science to save the day. Yay for friendship bonds! It’s always a nice thing to see. Of course, there’s also a hint of sibling bonds, too, as an added bonus. Nate and Maggie accidentally stumble into this mystery, but once it gets going, it really takes off. I was super curious to see how it would end, and it gripped me all the way through! I’ll admit that the ending was a little too easy, but that seems to be the case a lot in middle grade books. At least I can say that I didn’t see it coming! As I’ve said, I loved the way science and the scientific process are woven into the foundation of the mystery. The kids even get to use a microscope, which is pretty cool. How often do you see that come up in mystery? ...more

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Jun 23, 2020 Ms. Yingling rated it it was amazing

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maggie and her brother Ezra are living with their grandmother in her trailer after their father has lost his job as a lab assistant at the Vitaccino corporation in town. He's taken a job as a park ranger at Yellowstone, and Maggie misses him. Her mother left at some indeterminate point in the past and is not much missed. Maggie wants to take a great picture and submit it to the Junior Naturalist Merit Award being offered by the corporation; she wants to win, and u E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Maggie and her brother Ezra are living with their grandmother in her trailer after their father has lost his job as a lab assistant at the Vitaccino corporation in town. He's taken a job as a park ranger at Yellowstone, and Maggie misses him. Her mother left at some indeterminate point in the past and is not much missed. Maggie wants to take a great picture and submit it to the Junior Naturalist Merit Award being offered by the corporation; she wants to win, and use this leverage to get her father his job back. She enlists her friend Nate to help. After seeing an odd moth and missing a picture, she hears that there are weird "ghost lights" out by Old Man Bell's house, so she and Nate sneak out one evening to look. Ezra runs into them, and he and a friend also go to see what's up. Instead of ghost lights, they find bioluminescent mushrooms that seem particularly suspicious, and they also have a run in with Old Man Bell. Unfortunately, the man collapses after finding them and threatening them with his dogs. Ezra calls for an ambulance and tries to help the man, who coughs weirdly glowing spores all over him. The squad comes, but it is too late. Maggie and her family go to the funeral, where Maggie finds out that the dogs all had to be put down because of weird growths that wouldn't heal. She's happy when she gets the award from the Vitaccino corporation, and the head of it, Lydia, hopes that she will present some of her findings to the board. Ezra's health is failing, and when he gets a job working out at Old Man Bell's, Maggie and Nate find that the other teens who are working there all seem to be weirdly infected with the same fungus--Ophiocordyceps, which is the fungus that can turn ants into zombies! Things get heated very quickly, especially since the local police don't believe Maggie because they are infected. Maggie contacts her father for help, since she has exhausted all other options, and the only information he can give her is that she might be able to fight the fungus with a bacteria. Luckily, she and Nate are indefatigable, have good research skills, and can stomach strong smells, but will they be able to save the day?

Strengths: This had whatever element that is present in Scooby-Doo that makes the franchise eternally popular; things look a little bad, but then end up being absolutely horrible, and of course, only the kids can save the day. I really appreciated that Nate and Maggie were perfectly ready to go to the authorities, even call the state CDC, and no one will believe them! At first, I thought "Oh, cool, bioluminscent fungus. Nice science tie-in," but then this took a turn towards Zindel's Rats where it just gets down and dirty! There's also some nice bits with Maggie's family situation; more #MGLit characters could be shown living with a grandparent, and there will be a lot of students dealing with economic instability over the next ten years, but none of this slows down the plot. Excellent, excellent job!
Weaknesses: The cover isn't great, and this might be one of those books that's a bit hard to describe, but once I got past the first chapter, this really sucked me in, and it just got better and better. Might take a bit of hand selling.

What I really think: While the fungus gets a bit fantastical, this would be a fabulous book for science teachers to use to tie in to studying fungus. It reminded me a bit of Martin's Hoax for Hire in that it was so exciting and surprising, and moved along so quickly. Perfect blend of action, grossness, and kid power. Who knew that bat guano (and super soakers) could save the day? ...more

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Oct 12, 2020 Sam Subity rated it it was amazing

Let me just start by saying what a fun read this was. One of the things I enjoyed most was the interaction between the main characters Maggie and Nate. Maggie is the pragmatic scientist always seeking evidence while Nate is the free spirit with dreams of YouTube stardom. They work together to solve the mystery of a strange fungus that's taking over their small Texas town, turning everyone into zombies along the way. I loved how the kids solve the mystery themselves without the help of adults (an ...more

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Dec 12, 2020 Krissy Neddo rated it really liked it

Hand this to kids who liked Bloom, The Fourteenth Goldfish, Chirp and Masterminds. Magnolia's naivety is sometimes exasperating, but is a great way to build suspense. Her sidekick, Nate is hilarious and kept me reading. Not as scary as Bloom, but it may creep out younger or non-horror loving readers. Best for horror/sci-fi fans grades 4+. ...more

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Nov 06, 2020 Tonja Drecker rated it it was amazing

Mystery lurks...and a bit of science, too...in all the right twisty-turny ways to make this one simply a ton of fun to read.

Maggie lives with her grandmother, while her father's off being an amazing scientist somewhere on the other side of the country—something she's not overly thrilled about. But Maggie's got a plan. Hoping to win a science contest to catch his attention, she heads off with her friend Nate into the forest and discovers the perfect project. Or so she thinks until mutated animals Mystery lurks...and a bit of science, too...in all the right twisty-turny ways to make this one simply a ton of fun to read.

Maggie lives with her grandmother, while her father's off being an amazing scientist somewhere on the other side of the country—something she's not overly thrilled about. But Maggie's got a plan. Hoping to win a science contest to catch his attention, she heads off with her friend Nate into the forest and discovers the perfect project. Or so she thinks until mutated animals start popping up around town and even Nate gets hit with a strange and possibly deadly disease.

This is simply a wonderful mystery, which balances so many things. Maggie is an young girl, who wants nothing more than to have her family together but seems to be fighting the battle alone. Her entire situation makes her easy to sympathize with and root for right away. After all, her goals are only honorable and totally understandable. Her friend Nate, who loves scifi conspiracies and harbors Youtubing dreams, is the perfect match to make this a great pair to go on an adventure with. I could see middle graders wishing they could march through the forest with these two.

The adventure surprised me. While there are more serious tones in these pages thanks to Maggie's situation, it shoots off in a lot of unexpected twists and excitement. I was especially thrilled, when a real fungus, which makes 'Zombie' ants, comes into play. (Science and a fun mystery always catches my interest!) But this author doesn't stop there and weaves this fungus into an adventure, where things get worse...much worse than they first appear. Of course, the duo can't find help from any adults (and I think it's awesome they were actually realistic enough to try this approach first) and end up having to battle everything alone. It's perfect for the age group. Plus, I love the imagination that went into it.

My only problems with this read...and these are slight because I enjoyed this one quite a bit...are Maggie's age and the ending. While Maggie is a wonderful character, she doesn't act like an eleven-year-old. I'd throw her into an early teen category...and this did bother me several times through-out the tale. As for the ending....well, I don't want to spoil anything, but it didn't seem to even offer a tiny bit of any steps into solving the initial issue. It left me feeling a little frustrated and wondering why the entire adventure took place.

But I'm definitely recommending this read. Not only are mystery fans going to like it, but fans of quirky adventures, deadly issues, and middle grade kid power are going to get lost in these pages. It's also a great way to slide in a little science because this one covers an area most readers have probably never heard about (adults will most likely be in the same boat)...and it will catch their interest.
I received a complimentary copy and thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. ...more

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Jul 28, 2020 Magdalena rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This is a shortened version of the review I posted on my blog at https://librarianmagdalena.wordpress....

Eleven-year-old Magnolia and her friend Nate each have their own motivations for sneaking onto Old Man Bell’s property one summer night. Nate is an aspiring YouTuber investigating reports of “ghost lights” in the woods, but Magnolia (aka Maggie) just wants to take some photographs for her Junior Naturalist Merit Award project. The friends are joined by Maggie's older brother Ezra. Nate is dis This is a shortened version of the review I posted on my blog at https://librarianmagdalena.wordpress....

Eleven-year-old Magnolia and her friend Nate each have their own motivations for sneaking onto Old Man Bell’s property one summer night. Nate is an aspiring YouTuber investigating reports of “ghost lights” in the woods, but Magnolia (aka Maggie) just wants to take some photographs for her Junior Naturalist Merit Award project. The friends are joined by Maggie's older brother Ezra. Nate is disappointed to discover that the “ghost lights” are nothing more than bioluminescent fungi. But colorful, glowing mushrooms are perfect for Maggie’s project. The expedition is interrupted by Old Man Bell, who shoos the kids off the property before collapsing from an apparent heart attack.

After his death, Maggie begins noticing bizarre, synchronized behaviors in the insects and spiders around town. As she and Nate investigate the phenomenon, they come to the realization that they're dealing with a mutated form of ophiocordyceps, a parasitic fungus better known as the Zombie Ant Fungus because of its effects on South American Carpenter Ants. But this new form doesn't just control insects. It can control plants, other fungi, larger animals, and even people.

This fast-paced, action-filled science fiction story is a close read-alike for Louis Sachar’s Fuzzy Mud from 2015 and is comparable to Jennifer L. Holm’s The Fourteenth Goldfish from 2014. Maggie’s love for science, while perhaps a little cliche, makes this book appealing for kids who share her interests, and the author skillfully blends actual scientific information into the fantastical story. Readers with an affinity for spooky stories will also enjoy this book. Although all of the seemingly paranormal elements are explained away with biology concepts, the creepy forest setting and Nate’s frequent remarks about ghosts, zombies, and UFOs give the story a satisfyingly eerie tone.

My only quibbles with this book is that the quaint small-town setting feels a little forced and that some of the characterization is a little shallow, but for middle-grade readers with an interest in the genre and tone, these minor shortcomings will do little to detract from the enjoyment of the story.

...more

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Oct 24, 2020 Soumya Gudiyella rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover by Summer Rachel Short(@summerrachelwrites) is a perfect and chilling read for this Halloween. ⠀
⠀
Maggie is an aspiring young naturalist who lives in Shady Pines with her grandmother and elder brother, Ezra. Maggie’s best friend is Nate, who is a wannabe YouTube Star and alien conspiracy theorist. Maggie’s dream is to win the Vitaccino Junior Naturalist Award. Nate has an idea that can make Maggie the winner. ⠀
⠀
Nate and Maggie go to scary old man Bell’s land and disco ...more

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Jan 05, 2021 JD rated it it was amazing

A fantastic fun read that won’t let you put it down. Great book for middle graders who like nature-y and science-y stories. When I first picked this up I thought it might be a bit on the silly side just based on the playful title. Like I expected giant walking mushrooms or something completely unrealistic. Bad assumption. This story is rooted in real nature and science. The glowing spores that infect the townspeople are based off real-life fungus from the Amazon rain forest. The way Maggie appro ...more

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Dec 10, 2020 Jaymie rated it really liked it

[I received a print copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

This was a great book that kids are going to love, but I personally didn't care for it. I expected more science fiction - which it does very well - and less zombie/horror pieces. I don't like horror stories. And while this is perfectly appropriate for middle grade readers, it has some horror features to it that aren't a good fit for me as a reader.

This would be an awesome cross-discip ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Christina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2020, 5-stars, middlegrade1stpersonpov, favorite-favorites

This speculative story follows science-loving Maggie and her alien conspiracist friend Nate as they uncover a dangerous bioluminescent fungus situation in the woods by their small town, which is making people act strange. When a place called "Old Man Bell's woods" is involved, you know it's going to be fun. Or scary. Or both!

The writing is fresh and funny and feels realistic for the characters' ages. Nate is hilarious even when he doesn't intend to be, and Maggie is there to help him stay groun ...more

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Aug 30, 2020 Heather rated it it was amazing

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover is such a FUN book. I love that the MC is a tenacious girl with a passion for nature and science! It's a great read to encourage kids in STEM. It's also slightly creepy, but not too much, so it would be perfect for kids who want to read an atmospheric fall book with some spooky vibes without it being over-the-top terrifying for them. This fascinating story kept me turning the pages late into the night, and I enjoyed every minute. I've already pre-ordered a finished c ...more

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Oct 01, 2020 Julie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-read-in-2020, books-set-in-texas

Bioluminescent fungi is spreading through town and strange things are happening so Maggie and Nate are off to try and get to the bottom of what is happening. A page turning science fiction book perfect for middle grade science fiction lovers.

I really appreciated the Author's Note at the end of the book which explained which of the scientific concepts in the book are actually true, which are based on some truth and which are fiction. ...more

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Nov 05, 2020 Lorelei Savaryn rated it it was amazing

This is such a cool, fun, MG sci-fi! I think kids drawn to the scientific or the strange will especially love this story about friendship, family, and the threat of mutant zombie-making mushrooms growing a bit too close to town. Super creative with just a touch of creepy, I can't wait to see what adventure Maggie and Nate go on next! ...more

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Apr 17, 2020 Kathryn Spurgeon rated it it was amazing

This is an awesome book for kids. I love her work.

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Oct 07, 2020 Joanna rated it it was amazing

I loved reading this book! It's a captivating page-turner for kids and adults! ...more

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Aug 24, 2020 Jennifer Hottinger rated it really liked it

Ready for a mystery with science coolness? Crazy happenings begin after a bioluminescent fungus is found! You won’t be able to put this book down until you get answers!

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Oct 12, 2020 Diana Johnson rated it it was amazing

TMMT was SO MUCH FUN to read. I’ll never look at fungi the same again. Are they good spores or bad spores?

I loved Maggie and Nate’s friendship and the father/daughter story at the heart of the book.

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Aug 08, 2020 Lindsay rated it really liked it · review of another edition

The Mutant Mushroom Takeover is a spectacularly thrilling sci-fi mystery. Maggie, a budding junior scientist following in her father’s footsteps, and Nate, her best friend and aspiring YouTuber, find themselves in a very precarious situation when they stumble upon a local mystery regarding mutant fungi and a manufacturing company that recently fired her dad. With her dad busy with his new job in a new state, her brother acting strangely, and a grandmother who doesn’t like to be told very many de ...more

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About Summer Rachel Short

Summer Rachel Short

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Summer lives in North Texas with her husband, three kids, and a Maine coon cat named Emme. Before spinning tales about mutant mushrooms, she once worked as a science reporter for her university’s newspaper, where she wrote on topics like nanotech tweezers, poultry farm pollution, and the nighttime habits of spiders and snakes.

She enjoys exploring new places with the family, playing tennis, and dre ...more