"Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog)" is a side-splitting, action-packed adventure that turns the ordinary world of middle school upside down! When a cosmic catastrophe collides with pre-teen life, five unlikely heroes must step up to save Earth from intergalactic disaster while keeping you in stitches with their hilarious antics.
Meet the Homework Heroes: each chapter brings a new, hilarious, and thrilling adventure.
As homework-devouring aliens threaten to plunge Earth into educational chaos, our heroes must learn to harness their unique abilities, work as a team, and discover that sometimes the most potent weapons are friendship, creativity, and a never-give-up attitude. Join them on their journey and feel the power of teamwork!
With a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humor, heart-pounding action, and sneakily educational content, "Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog)" is a must-read for kids and adults alike. It's a wild ride that entertains and educates, making it a perfect choice for those who love to learn while they laugh!
Get ready to embark on an adventure where geometry can defeat alien invaders. Procrastination is a physical force to be reckoned with, and the universe's fate might depend on a protractor and a wad of gum.
"Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog)" is a side-splitting, action-packed adventure that turns the ordinary world of middle school upside down! When a cosmic catastrophe collides with pre-teen life, five unlikely heroes must step up to save Earth from intergalactic disaster while keeping you in stitches with their hilarious antics.
Meet the Homework Heroes: each chapter brings a new, hilarious, and thrilling adventure.
As homework-devouring aliens threaten to plunge Earth into educational chaos, our heroes must learn to harness their unique abilities, work as a team, and discover that sometimes the most potent weapons are friendship, creativity, and a never-give-up attitude. Join them on their journey and feel the power of teamwork!
With a perfect blend of laugh-out-loud humor, heart-pounding action, and sneakily educational content, "Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog)" is a must-read for kids and adults alike. It's a wild ride that entertains and educates, making it a perfect choice for those who love to learn while they laugh!
Get ready to embark on an adventure where geometry can defeat alien invaders. Procrastination is a physical force to be reckoned with, and the universe's fate might depend on a protractor and a wad of gum.
Adam slumped in his chair, staring blankly at the math test. The classroom, a typical school room with rows of desks and a whiteboard at the front, was silent except for the scratching of pencils and the occasional sigh of frustration. He glanced over at his best friend, Izy, who was scribbling furiously, his tongue sticking out in concentration.
The clock on the wall ticked slowly, each second feeling like an eternity. Adam had always hated math, but this test was fierce. Quadratic equations swam before his eyes, the numbers and letters blurring into an indecipherable mess.
âPsst, Izy,â Adam whispered, his desperation overcoming his usual rule-following nature. âWhatâs the answer to number four?â
Izy shot him a look, saying, âDude, weâre in the middle of a test!â His bushy eyebrows furrowed in disapproval, but Adam could see the sympathy in his friendâs eyes.
Adam sighed and turned back to his paper. He picked up his plain yellow #2 pencil that had seen better days. The eraser was worn down to a nub, and teeth marks dotted its lengthâevidence of Adamâs nervous habit during particularly stressful study sessions.
He tapped the pencil against his chin, trying to focus. The problem stared back at him mockingly: âSolve for x: 3x² + 7x - 2 = 0â
âCome on, brain,â Adam muttered to himself. âYou can do this. Itâs just a stupid equation. Nothing weird or life-changing about it.â Little did he know how wrong he was.
As Adam positioned the pencil to write, something strange happened. The pencil began to vibrate in his hand, a gentle tremor at first, barely noticeable.
âWhat theââ he muttered, staring at the pencil in disbelief. His heart raced, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He blinked hard, wondering if the stress of the test was making him hallucinate.
The vibration intensified, growing stronger with each passing second. Adamâs hand started to shake, and he tried to drop the pencil, but to his horror, he couldnât let go. It was as if the pencil had fused to his skin.
Panic rose in his chest as the vibration reached a fever pitch. Then, without warning, the pencil emitted a bright blue light. A thin beam shot out from the tip, slicing clean through his test paper and leaving a smoldering hole in his desk.
âHoly cow!â Adam yelped, jumping back from his seat. The force of his movement finally broke the connection between his hand and the pencil, which clattered to the floor, still glowing faintly.
The entire class turned to stare at him. Leath, the class troublemaker who sat a few rows back, snickered loudly. âWhatâs the matter, Adam? Math got your tongue?â
Ms. Leah, the math genius , looked up from her book with a frown. Her golden-brown hair was pulled back in a tight bun. âAdam,â she said sternly, âis there a problem?â
Adam stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. How could he possibly explain what had just happened? It sounded crazy even in his head.
âMy pencilâŚâ he finally stammered, âit⌠it turned into a laser beam!â The words sounded as unbelievable to him as they did to the class.
The class erupted in laughter. Leathâs laugh was the loudest of all. âYeah, right, Adam. And my eraserâs a teleporter!â
But Sibel, who sat next to Adam, wasnât laughing. Her dark eyes were wide as saucers as she stared at the pencil on the floor. âGuys,â she said slowly, her voice cutting through the laughter, âI donât think heâs kidding.â
As if to prove her point, the pencil vibrated again, this time more violently. It rose a few inches off the ground, spinning rapidly, before another beam shot out, this time towards the ceiling. A ceiling tile disintegrated, showering the class with white dust.
Chaos ensued. Students screamed and ducked under their desks. Papers flew everywhere as kids scrambled to escape Adam and the rogue pencil. The air was thick with the smell of burnt wood and the sound of the pencilâs vibrations. Leah stood frozen at the front of the class, her mouth agape, the book she had been reading lying forgotten on her desk.
Amid the uproar, Izy scrambled over to Adam, his eyes gleaming with fear and excitement. âDude!â he exclaimed, grabbing Adamâs arm. âYour pencil is awesome! How did you do that?â
Adam shook his head, still in shock. âI have no idea! It just⌠happened!â
As the commotion continued, Adam and Izy cautiously approached the pencil. It stopped glowing and lay innocently on the floor, looking for the whole world like a regular writing utensil.
âMaybe it was a one-time thing?â Adam suggested, bending down to pick it up.
But even as the words left his mouth, the pencil began to vibrate again. This time, instead of a laser beam, it projected a holographic message into the air.
                            The floating, glowing text read:
âGreetings, Earthling. Your planet has been chosen for our homework-based invasion. Prepare yourself. This is only the beginning.â
Adam and Izy exchanged looks of shock and excitement. Little did they know their ordinary school day would become an extraordinary adventure.
âWhat does it mean, âhomework-based invasionâ?â Izy whispered, his voice a mix of awe and fear, echoing the emotions of the entire class.
Before Adam could respond, Leahâs voice cut through the chaos. âEveryone, please calm down!â she shouted, finally regaining her composure. âIâm sure thereâs a perfectly logical explanation for this.â
But even as she spoke, her eyes darted nervously to the hole in the ceiling and the scorched desk. She was trying to convince herself as much as others.
âAdam,â she said, her voice shaking slightly, âplease bring that⌠pencil⌠to me immediately.â
Adam hesitated, looking at Izy for support. His friend nodded encouragingly. âGo on, dude. But be careful.â
Slowly, Adam approached Leahâs desk, holding the pencil at armâs length as if it might explode. The rest of the class watched in tense silence, many still huddled under their desks, the air thick with anticipation.
As Adam placed the pencil on Leahâs desk, Leath piped up. âOh, come on! This has gotta be some kind of prank, right? Thereâs no way a pencil can shoot lasers!â
Sibel, who had been quietly observing everything, spoke up. âBut we all saw it, Leath. How do you explain the hole in the ceiling?â
Leath opened his mouth to argue, but no words came out. For once, the class clown was speechless.
 Leah picked up the pencil gingerly, examining it from all angles. âIt looks perfectly ordinary,â she muttered. âPerhaps it was just a malfunction in the lights, orââ
Her words were cut off as the pencil began to glow again. This time, instead of a laser or a hologram, it emitted a high-pitched whine that grew louder and louder until everyone in the room had to cover their ears.
Suddenly, the classroom door burst open. Standing in the doorway was Principal Johnson, a portly man with a receding hairline and a perpetually harried expression. âWhat in the world is going on in here?â he demanded.
The pencil shot out of  Leahâs hand as if in response, zipping around the room like a deranged firefly. Students screamed and ducked as it whizzed past their heads, leaving a trail of blue light in its wake.
Principal Johnsonâs jaw dropped. âIs that⌠a flying pencil?â
âItâs more than that, sir,â Adam said, his voice shaking. âItâs⌠itâs an alien pencil.â
The principal looked at him as if he had grown a second head. âAn alien pencil? Now, Adam, I know you have a vivid imagination, butââ
His words were cut short as the pencil suddenly stopped mid-air, hovering before his face. Then, to everyoneâs astonishment, it began to speak.
âAttention, Earth educators and young knowledge-seekers,â the pencil said in a tinny, mechanical voice. âWe, the Galactic Homework Alliance, have deemed your planet suitable for our educational experiments. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be educated.â
With that, the pencil dropped to the floor, again looking completely ordinary.
The room was silent momentarily, everyone too shocked to speak. Then, predictably, Leath broke the silence.
âOkay, that was seriously cool! Can we do it again?â
Leah shot him a withering look. âThis is not a joke, Leath. We need to take this seriously.â
Principal Johnson nodded, though he still looked dazed. âIndeed. I⌠I suppose I should call the authorities. Or perhaps the school board? Iâm not sure thereâs a protocol for alien pencil invasions.â
As the adults huddled together, discussing what to do, Adam turned to Izy and Sibel. âGuys,â he whispered, âI think weâre in big trouble.â
Izzy nodded; his eyes wide. âYeah, but also⌠isnât this kind of awesome? I mean, aliens! Real aliens!â
Sibel looked thoughtful. âBut why would aliens be interested in our homework? It doesnât make sense.â
âNothing about this makes sense,â Adam replied. âBut I have a feeling things are about to get a lot weirder.â
As if on cue, the lights in the classroom began to flicker. The temperature dropped suddenly, causing everyone to shiver. And then, to their horror, every pencil in the room began to glow with the same eerie blue light.
âOh no,â Adam breathed. âItâs spreading.â
The next few minutes were chaos. Pencils flew out of studentsâ hands and backpacks, zipping around the room like miniature rockets.
They carved equations into the walls, drew complex diagrams on the whiteboard, and one even started solving the problems on Adamâs abandoned math test.
Leah and Principal Johnson tried maintaining order, but it was a losing battle. Students alternately screamed in terror and laughed in disbelief. Leath had caught one of the flying pencils and tried to make it do tricks while Sibel furiously took notes on the whole experience.
During the turmoil, Adam felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Izy, his face flushed with excitement. âDude,â he said, âwe have to do something!â
Adam looked at him in disbelief. âDo what? In case you havenât noticed, weâre being invaded by alien school supplies!â
âExactly!â Izy replied. âAnd who better to fight a homework invasion than students? We deal with this stuff every day!â
Before Adam could argue, Sibel joined them. âIzyâs right,â she said. âThe adults are too freaked out to handle this. Itâs up to us.â
Adam looked from Izy to Sibel and back again. Part of him wanted to hide under a desk and wait for this insanity to be over. But another part, which he didnât even know existed until this moment, was thrilled by the idea of adventure.
âOkay,â he said finally. âWhatâs the plan?â
Izy grinned. âFirst, we need to catch one of these pencils. Then we can try to communicate with it and figure out what the aliens really want.â
âAnd how exactly are we supposed to catch a supersonic pencil?â Adam asked.
Sibelâs eyes lit up. âI have an idea. Quick, give me your backpack!â
Adam handed over his backpack, and Sibel quickly emptied it. She then took off her sweater and draped it over the open bag. âOkay,â she said, âwhen I say go, Izy, you try to herd one of the pencils this way. Adam, you and I will hold the bag open. Ready?â
Adam and Izy nodded, unsure if this would work but willing to try anything.
âGo!â Sibel shouted.
Izy waved his arms wildly, trying to direct one of the flying pencils towards them. To everyoneâs surprise, it worked. A pencil, seemingly confused by Izyâs flailing, veered in their direction.
âNow!â Sibel yelled.
Adam and Sibel held the backpack open wide, and miraculously, the pencil flew right in. They quickly closed the bag, trapping the alien writing utensil inside.
âWe did it!â Izy cheered, pumping his fist in the air.
Their celebration was short-lived, however, as the backpack began to shake violently. The pencil trapped in the backpack was not happy about its capture.
âQuick,â Adam said, âletâs get out of here before anyone notices!â
The three friends slipped out of the classroom, unnoticed in the continuing chaos. They ran down the hallway, ducking into an empty classroom and locking the door behind them.
âOkay,â Adam said, breathing heavily. âNow what?â
Sibel carefully opened the backpack, revealing the glowing pencil inside. It had stopped moving and seemed to be⌠waiting.
âUm, hello?â Izy said tentatively. âMr. Alien Pencil? We come in peace?â
To their amazement, the pencil rose from the bag and hovered at eye level. Then, it spoke.
âGreetings, young Earth students. I am X-2B, emissary of the Galactic Homework Alliance. We have come to revolutionize your educational system.â
Adam, Izy, and Sibel exchanged glances. This was either the coolest or the scariest moment of their lives â they werenât sure which.
âBut why?â Sibel asked. âWhy Earth? Why now?â
The pencil twirled in the air, almost as if it was thinking. âYour planet has been monitored for some time. We have observed your struggles with education, particularly in the areas of mathematics and sciences. Our mission is to elevate all sentient beings to their full potential.â
âBy turning our school supplies into weapons?â Adam asked incredulously.
âNot weapons,â X-2B corrected. âTools. Advanced learning aids to enhance your cognitive abilities and accelerate your speciesâ development.â
Izyâs eyes widened. âSo, youâre saying these pencils can make us smarter?â
âIn a manner of speaking, yes,â the pencil replied. âBut it is not without risk. The process of enhancing your neural pathways can be⌠unpredictable.â
Adam frowned. âWhat do you mean, unpredictable?â
Before X-2B could answer, there was a loud bang on the classroom door. âOpen up!â came Principal Johnsonâs voice. âWe know youâre in there!â
The three friends looked at each other in panic. They were trapped, with only an alien pencil for the company and a furious principal on the other side of the door.
âWhat do we do now?â Izy whispered.
Adam looked at the pencil, then at his friends. At that moment, he decided to change their lives forever.
âX-2B,â he said, his voice shaking slightly. We want to help. Tell us what we must do to save our schoolâand maybe our planet.â
The pencil glowed brighter, and this one did if a writing utensil could look pleased. âVery well, young humans. Your journey begins now. But remember, once you start down this path, thereâs no turning back. Are you ready to become the first students of the Galactic Homework Alliance?â
Adam, Izy, and Sibel looked at each other. The banging on the door grew louder. The world as they knew it was about to change. But they all knew they could give only one answer at that moment.
âWeâre ready,â they said in unison.
And with that, the pencil began to glow even brighter, enveloping the three friends in a cocoon of blue light. As the door burst open and Principal Johnson rushed in, Adam, Izy, and Sibel vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a faintly glowing pencil and a perplexed group of adults.
The adventure had truly begun, and nothing would be the same again.
âAdam, the leader; Izy, the joker; Sibel, the curious one; and Leah, the practical thinkerâ, and later Leath, who is more or less the troublemaker, are ordinary middle school students until one day, they are recruited by the alien pencil, X-2B, to the Galactic Homework Alliance so that they might defend Earth from the Procrastination Nebula and all other forces of apathy and disinterest in learning. With every chapter being filled with one mad adventure after another, the Homework Heroes, geared with their wits, some alien gadgets, and at last, a protractor and some gum, must unite to restore motivation and dedication toward learning first in the sleepy town of Millbrook and then in the entire world.
Filled with imaginative wit, Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog) is sure to get a laugh out of its audience, especially from its intended child audience. It is filled with everything from purple procrastinator monsters to alien exchange students to talking dogs to secret-alien-princess little sisters. The novel is absurd in the best way, and for children whose imaginations are raw for new ideas, it will doubtless entice many of them.
However, in spite of the hilarious absurdism, there is regretfully little else to it. Above is quoted the first line of chapter two which describes the main characters: âAdam, the leader; Izy, the joker; Sibel, the curious one; and Leah, the practical thinkerâ. One might add Leath who, when he is first introduced, is "the class troublemaker". Leath becomes slightly less of a troublemaker once he learns about the real dangers of the anti-educational aliens, but other than that, there is effectively nothing else to any of these characters, and the various attempts at genuine growth or emotion all fall flat. In chapter eleven, Sibel suspects that her sister is secretly an alien queen, and from how it is written, it seems that it should be an incredibly emotional experience, but since the reader does not know Sibel, except that she is "the curious one", and since her sister, Mira, first appears in this chapter where there is already a major mystery about her, it is difficult for the reader to invest himself in the relationship between the two sisters to care whether or not one of them is secretly an alien queen.
This ties into another weakness of the novel: it is too fast-paced. The Homework Heroes are plunged into their adventure almost immediately. Most of their training happens off-page and there is hardly any breathing room between invasions for the characters to be firmly established. It is unfair, of course, to expect fully fleshed-out three-dimensional characters from a children's story about homework, but even in stories with relatively flat characters, such as Sherlock Holmes or Beowulf, there is still enough there to make the characters memorable in a way that is simply not present in Aliens Ate My Homework (And My Dog).
There are also more grammatical errors that might be expected in published novel. So far, the "joker" character has been called "Izy" in this review. However, he is also frequently called "Izzy". There are also several obvious sentences that appear to have been cut short, missing quotation marks, and other such things that make the novel difficult to read. To add to that, the novel did not need one main character named "Leah" and another named "Leath". These names are far too similar for already one-dimensional characters and it is unrealistic to expect a child reader to keep track of them all.
The novel is marketed as entertaining and educational. If this novel is meant to be educational, it rarely is. Most of the problems are solved through unexplained technobabble. However, for all its flaws, the novel is entertaining to the right audience. The novel is incredibly fast-pacedâtoo fast for much to be thoroughly explained, but perhaps younger readers would not care about such things and be more excited to see other children stepping up to defeat the alien incursion of the day. For small children or for families, it might make a good read-aloud, and there is even a little in here by which adults might be amused.