Game of Scones: From “The Doodle Boy” Joe Whale (Bad Food #1) by Eric Luper and Joe Whale on illustrations has awkward text, an awkward storyline, and art that is off putting.
Yet, due to the offbeat humor that turned me off to this story of puns, allusions to pop culture and school politics, could be right for the right seven up reader. However, due to the amount of text (and even with the mostly short chapters), this might put off a reluctant reader. I usually enjoy Luper, but this time it was off.
We have three friends Scoop, Slice and Totz are part of the food that comes to life in the cafeteria after the students go home. When the Main Office beings invade their tranquil and AC area, the bread is not the only thing that is stale, the Main Office people quickly wear out their welcome. And it is up to the three friends (and a crusty old hot dog from the back of the freezer) to try and find help to clean up the mess. Yet, food does not belong in the library, the art gang does not want to lose its paper supply by crossing the Main Office, and so forth. Nobody, not even the Coach who is a whistle wants to help them. What will they do? Will the Main Office get away with trashing the place, the janitorial items sweep them away or will good prevail?
The pop culture comes in when we get a Game of Thrones wedding-meets-the-mafia-meeting, we get a hip-hop tater tot (that almost make my title rhyme good), and we see how even a couple of eggs can have a hard shell and get the job done without too much scrambling (just a lot of pepper). Also, there is mythology (a labyrinth in the library, so the hero’s journey continues) and more adult references that might be lost on the child reader, but still everything is aimed at a kid. I am just not sure I want to aim this book at a kid for reading. I think this is a case of read it first, know your reader and go from there.