SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: ENGINE OF CHANGE
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.cootiekid.com/
CITY: New York
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 387
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Cincinnati, OH.
EDUCATION:Costal Carolina University, B.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and actor. Has appeared on Inside Amy Schumer, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Bull, Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bull, The Deuce, High Fidelity, and Chappelle’s Show. Has appeared in commercials for Sprint, Spectrum, Liberty Mutual, Time Warner Cable, Heineken, DirecTV, AFLAC, and New York Lotter.
MEMBER:SAG-AFTRA, Writers Guild of America.
AWARDS:IPPY Award for Pop Culture/Leisure, 2013, for The Dark Knight Manual; distinguished alumni, Mariemont High School.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Brandon T. Snider is an award-winning author of scores of children’s books. He has authored stories for numerous popular characters, including Spider-Man, Batman, Black Panther, the Justice League, the heroes of Adventure Time, Star Wars, and even The Muppets. In addition to writing, Snider has worked as an actor appearing on Inside Amy Schumer, Bull, Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, High Fidelity, The Deuce, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Chappelle’s Show. Snider has also worked on commercials for Sprint, Spectrum, Liberty Mutual, Time Warner Cable, Heineken, DirecTV, AFLAC, and New York Lotter.
Among his numerous works is the first story in the “Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines” series, illustrated by Ed Steckley. The protagonist in Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines is a fictionalized version of the famous inventor Rube Goldberg. Rube loves creating contraptions. Rube is mostly left to himself to work on his inventions. His mother is deceased and his father is often working or out of town. Occasionally his grandmother drops by, but in general Rube is allowed to follow his whimsy and focus on his designs. At the beginning of sixth grade at Beechwood Middle School, Rube is tempted to enter the Contraption Convention, but after an isolated summer of machine building, Rube is withdrawn from his friends Boob and Pearl. A new friend, Zach, also expands the distance between Rube and his friends. Rube decides that Zach will make a good work partner as the convention draws near, but a series of strange, possibly haunted, happenings and an impending deadline throw everything into the fan. “Rube’s induction into the middle school experience will be highly relatable to kids making this transition,” wrote Lindsay Persohn in School Library Journal. Persohn concluded, “With middle school humor and entertaining images, Rube learns to navigate strange and difficult situations.” “Snider accurately conveys feelings of change and growth at a time when tweens are truly still children,” wrote a contributor in Kirkus Reviews.
(open new)In The New Switcheroo, Rube is facing some anxiety as he deals with Beechwood Middle School’s sixth-grade class elections and its Switcheroo Dance. He is excited for his friend, Pearl, who is running for class president. However, he agrees to go to the dance with Emilia, who is also running for class president. Rube causes even more trouble when his mistake sabotages Pearl’s automated campaign flyer distributor and her school garden project. A Kirkus Reviews contributor commented that the story offered “a thin plotline that is only slightly redeemed by likable characters.”
Engine of Change is the third novel in the “Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines” series. Rube goes up against the Null Corporation after he finds out that it may be responsible for potentially closing down Beechwood Middle School. A giant robot at the junkyard further adds to the mysterious circumstances. A Kirkus Reviews contributor acknowledged that “there are plenty of plot twists.” However, the critic opined that “the stakes never feel high, and the villain’s motivations feel flimsy.”(close new)
Snider told SATA: “Comic books are where it all started for me. When I was little they were my gateway to reading. Comics ignited a million ideas in my brain so, as a boy, I ended up creating my own. From there writing became an outlet for my creativity. Sometimes I’d write about myself, other times I would write about superheroes or other creations. It was always exciting to give my mom or dad the finished product. A little booklet written, drawn and stapled together by me. It was a thrill to share my work with someone and see them react. Sharing stories is what keeps us growing, changing and moving forward. I remember seeing that power first hand and being changed by it.
“My writing process is chaotic. It begins with voluminous idea generation. I’ll create pages and pages of misc thoughts, references, inspiration, ideas, concepts, scenes, dialogue and anything else that comes to me. Then I’ll sift through all of that and come up with an outline. Once the outline is done I’m off to the races! In theory. Sometimes I take detours along the way but that outline puts me back on the path whenever I start to wander.
“As a very young writer I was so fearful to delete anything. I thought words were precious and once they flowed out of me I couldn’t do anything but stand back and admire them. Not to say I didn’t rewrite or revise but I had this thing in the back of my brain that said ‘What if you can’t write anything better? Do you really want to risk it?’ Once I logged a few miles I came to understand that’s not the case. Learning to be constructively critical with my work is something I still struggle with but I’m not afraid to throw away chunks of writing if it’s not working. That’s something I never thought I’d be able to do when I first started out.
“I hope my work sparks a young reader’s imagination. I hope it makes them consider the world around them in new ways. All it takes is a spark to light a fire.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2016, review of This or That?; October 15, 2021, review of Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines; September 1, 2022, review of The New Switcheroo; November 1, 2023, review of Engine of Change.
School Library Journal, December 1, 2021, Lindsay Persohn, review of Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines, p. 90.
ONLINE
Authors Unbound, https://authorsunbound.com/ (April 10, 2024), author profile.
Brandon T. Snider website, http://www.cootiekid.com (April 10, 2024).
Call Me Adam, https://www.callmeadam.com/ (December 7, 2018), author interview.
Media Mikes, https://mediamikes.com/ (August 22, 2012), Mike Gencarelli, author interview.
Warrior, https://thewarrior.wantaghschools.org/ (June 23, 2021), Nora Toscano, author interview.
Brandon T. Snider is the best-selling author of the award-winning Dark Knight Manual, as seen in Entertainment Weekly, Time, Forbes, and Wired as well as the Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest series and the Reuben Award-winning Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines series.
Additionally, he's written books featuring Cartoon Network favorites like Adventure Time and Regular Show, Marvel's Spider-Man and Black Panther, plus pop culture icons such as Justice League, Star Wars, and The Muppets.
Brandon has also written for and appeared on Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. As an actor he's appeared on High Fidelity, The Deuce, Bull, Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as various commercials, plays and short films. Brandon lives in New York City, where he's a member of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
He also wants you to know that he loves you. Yes, you!
Brandon T. Snider
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brandon T. Snider
Born Cincinnati, Ohio
Occupation Actor / writer
Nationality American
Period 1999–present
Website
www.cootiekid.com
Brandon T. Snider (born February 28) is a New York City based writer and actor who has written for and appeared on Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. He's also been featured on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Chappelle's Show. Snider has written a number of books about comic book characters, pop culture icons and television shows.[1] Noteworthy works include the award-winning Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave and Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest Volumes 1 & 2. He is a member of both SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America East.
Early life
Snider was born in Cincinnati, Ohio.[2] He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in theater from Coastal Carolina University.[3]
Acting
Brandon appeared in two sketches on NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien as well as an episode of Comedy Central's Chappelle's Show. He's also made numerous appearances on Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. In Season 1, he played "The Producer" in the sketch "A Porn Star is Born" directed by Neal Brennan. In Season 2, he played "Trentman Schumer" in the sketch "Congresswoman Amy" directed by Ryan McFaul. In Season 3, he played "Glen" in the sketch "Dog Stripper" and "Fan #3" in the Season 4 sketch "Fame", also directed by McFaul. Additionally, Snider has been on Rachel Dratch's Late Night Snack, Law & Order: SVU, All My Children and Bull.[4]
He's also appeared in commercials for Sprint,[5] Spectrum, Liberty Mutual, Time Warner Cable, Heineken, DirecTV, AFLAC and New York Lottery among others.[6] Additionally, Snider has been on Rachel Dratch's Late Night Snack, Bull, The Deuce and High Fidelity.[7]
Writing
Snider has authored over 75 books featuring fictional television and comic book characters from properties such as Star Trek,[8] Cartoon Network[9] and the Muppets.[10] His hardcover DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide was released in 2011, and reached #4 on Bookscan's list of Best Selling Graphic Novels in May 2012[11] and his DC Super Heroes and Pets Papercraft with artist Art Baltazar was featured in 2016 gift guides from both Paste magazine [12] and Comicosity.[13] Snider has written two stories for the Regular Show comic book published by BOOM! Studios and based on the Cartoon Network program.[14] He also wrote the Legion of Doom Stage Show in 2007 for the Six Flags amusement park.[15] He currently writes the Peter Powers series for Little, Brown Books[16][17] as well as the Mighty Marvel Chapter Books and Doodle Books for Disney Publishing.[18]
In 2012, Snider wrote the best-selling Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave,[19] Published by Insight Editions, the book is a detailed and personal account of Bruce Wayne's evolution as Batman over the course of his career. The book features sketches, notes, and other top-secret case files in addition to about two dozen removable documents, including the design and capabilities of the Batsuit, blueprints revealing the inner workings of the Batcave, and the specifications for Batman's arsenal of weapons and gadgets. The Dark Knight Manual won the 2013 IPPY Award for Pop Culture/Leisure .[20] It was also featured in Time magazine,[21] Forbes,[22] Wired,[23] i09.[24] While promoting the book, Snider appeared on the syndicated television show The List[2] as well as local Cincinnati, Ohio FOX affiliate Channel 19. The Dark Knight Manual received positive reviews from Superhero Hype,[25] Stuff We Like,[26] Gotham News[27] and Forever Geek.[28]
In New York City, Snider studied improvisation with Second City and performed sketch comedy as part of the group Rash Behaviour in addition to writing humor for the news site, Huffington Post. As an ensemble member of the NY-based theatre company The Collective NY,[29] he met and worked with comedian Amy Schumer. In 2013, Schumer hired Snider to write for the first season of her Comedy Central show, Inside Amy Schumer, which earned high ratings in 2013 and went on to win a Peabody Award in 2014.[30] Snider's short play, A Weekend Conference, debuted as part of The Collective's Fourth Annual C:10 Play Festival in September 2016.[31] The dark comedy follows three men on their way to a gay reparative therapy weekend.[32] The piece was directed by Richard Masur (Transparent, The Good Wife) and starred Snider, Mike Houston (Orange is the New Black, Sneaky Pete) and Gabe Fazio (Place Beyond the Pines, Homeland). The short play is currently being developed into a full-length play entitled The Retreat.[33]
In 2017, Snider and Kevin Kane returned to their college alma mater, Coastal Carolina University, to perform a series of short plays with their fellow Collective NY ensemble members[34] as part of a professional exchange where they directed students, conducted a panel about not-for-profit theatre and led a writing workshop.[35][36] Snider was the focus of a 2017 Publishers Weekly article on notable writers of licensed children's publishing.[37]
Following the Pulse Nightclub shooting in 2016, Snider wrote an editorial piece entitled "Bigotry is not a difference of opinion" for the Cincinnati Enquirer.[38]
Snider wrote Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest Volumes 1 & 2, companion novels featuring original tales from the Marvel Cinematic Universe that tie into the events depicted in the popular mega-franchise film. Volume One: Beginning, a prequel, found The Collector and his brother, Grandmaster, teaming up to search for an Infinity Stone.[39] Volume Two: Aftermath featured Dr. Erik Selvig, Darcy Lewis and young science-minded kid named Felix Desta as they searched for answers regarding the event that wiped out half of all life in the universe.[40][41] The book was notable for introducing a group of diverse characters called the Science Avengers, among them Anjelica Tan, the non-binary Anoki and Bisi Banyaga, the Reverse Engineer.[42] The story also featured the return of Jane Foster, Thor's former love interest, prior to her inheriting the mantle of Thor in Love and Thunder.[43] In addition to appearing on the This Week in Marvel podcast,[44] Snider joined Marvel's Agent M, Ryan Penagos, to unveil an Avengers: Infinity War-themed library in South LA at the Newton Community Center as part of a partnership with the Little Free Library.[45][46]
In 2019, Snider appeared on Andy Mangels' Out in Comics Panel at San Diego Comic-Con alongside Alitha E. Martinez, Chad Michaels, Lilah Sturges, Justin Hall, Che Grayson, Chuck Rozanski and Vincent J. Roth.[47][48]
After writing the Audible Original Beezer in 2020,[49] Snider was tapped to pen Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines, a middle grade novel series for Abrams/Amulet, featuring the adventures of young Rube Goldberg as he navigates middle school. The summary for Book #1, arriving in November 2021, states "On the first day of middle school, Principal Kim announces that the school is going to throw a Contraption Convention—the perfect opportunity for young inventor Rube Goldberg to show off his inventions and get out of his summer-long funk! But after a fight with his friends Pearl and Boob about where his priorities really lie, Rube's Con Con entry gets off to a rocky start—and then strange incidents begin to throw the town into disarray. Boob is convinced it's a ghost causing all of this chaos. Between Con Con, the ghostly mystery, and a new rival, Rube has his work cut out for him. But with the help of his friends, he might just get things back on track, get on top of his burgeoning anxieties, and come up with something brilliant before it's time to face the judging table."[50]
In 2022, Snider was honored by Mariemont High School as a Distinguished Alumni.[51]
Bibliography
The Batman: Cry of the Penguin (2005)
Smallville Magazine #17 "Toy Part 1" (2006)
Superman Returns: Last Son of Krypton (2006)
Superman Returns: Deluxe Sound Storybook (2006)
Lucky's Pirate Adventure (2006)
Smallville Magazine #18 "Toy Part 2" (2007)
Smallville Magazine #21 "Voltage" (2007)
Spider-Man 3: Deluxe Sound Storybook (2007)
The Superman Guide to Life: Living the Super-Hero Lifestyle (2007)
Prehistoric Park: Creatures & Beasts (2007)
Smallville Magazine #24 "Quest" (2008)
Green Lantern Book & Ring Kit (2011)
DC Comics Ultimate Character Guide (2011)
Frogs Are Funny!: The Most Sensational, Inspirational, Celebrational, Muppetational Muppets Joke Book EVER! (2011)
The Dark Knight Rises: Secret Files Scrapbook (2012)
The Dark Knight Manual: Tools, Weapons, Vehicles and Documents from the Batcave (2012)
My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony: Friendship is Magic: The Official Guidebook Hardcover (2013)
Annoying Orange: How to Be Annoying: A Joke Book (2013)
Regular Show #3 "Hot Tub" (2013)
Regular Show #5 "Freegans" (2013)
Vampire Academy: Official Movie Companion (2013)[52]
Plants vs Zombies: Brain Food (2013)
Fantastic 4: Deluxe Sound Storybook (2014)
Regular Show: Scribble & Sketch (2014)
Adventure Time: BMO's Character File (2014)
Transformers: Kre-O Character Encyclopedia with Special Figure (2014)
Regular Show Game Night: Quips' Book of Questions, Quizzes & Games (2014)
Mordecai and the Rigbys: The Experience (2014)
Annoying Orange: Halloweenie (2014)
Tenkai Knights Go (2014)
It's Tenkai Time (2014)
Tenkai Knights: The Power of Four (2014)
Tenkai Knights: Tenkai Energy: Secrets of Quarton (2014)
The Amazing World of Gumball: Be the Brush Doodle Book (2014)
Regular Show Volume #1 (2014)
Regular Show Volume #2 (2014)
Skylanders A-Z Boxed Set (2014)
Lego Learning: Sharks (2014)
What Would Uncle Grandpa Do? (2015)
Good Morning, UG-RV! An Unfoldable Journey Through the World of Uncle Grandpa (2015)
Slice of Life with Pizza Steve (2015)
Who in the Land of Ooo Are You? An Adventure Time Quiz Book (2015)
Skylanders: The Complete Collection (2015)
Minions: Build Your Own Minions Punch-Out Activity Book (2015)
Minions: Snow Day (2015)
Skylanders SuperChargers Portal Master Handbook (2016)
Game Over! Mad Libs (2016)
Star Trek: What Would Captain Kirk Do? (2016)
LOL: A Keepsake Journal of Hilarious Q&As (2016)
My Little Pony: Wonderbolts Academy Handbook (2016)
Adventure Time: Hero Time with Finn and Jake: The Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Genuine Legend (2016)
Teen Titans GO!: Jump City Jive! Character Guidebook (2016)
DC Super Heroes and Pets Papercraft (2016)
Peter Powers & His Not So Super Powers (2016)
Doctor Strange: Mystery of the Dark Magic (2016)
Write It Out: Hundreds of Writing Prompts to Inspire Creative Thinking (2016)
Draw It Out: Hundreds of Drawing Prompts to Inspire Creative Expression (2016)
The Collective: 10 Play Anthology: Volume 4: (2016)
Peter Powers & the Rowdy Robot Raiders (2016)
This or That #1 (2017)
This or That #2 (2017)
Transformers Rescue Bots: Meet Quickshadow (2017)
Peter Powers & the Icky Insect Invasion (2017)
Spider-Man Mad Libs (2017)
Star Trek: What Would Captain Picard Do? (2016)
Guardians of the Galaxy: Gamora's Galactic Showdown (2017)
Guardians of the Galaxy Doodle Book (2017)
Spider-Man Doodle Book (2017)
Spider-Man Presents the Marvel Joke Book (2017)
Powerpuff Girls: Donny the Unicorn Handbook (2017)
My Little Pony: The Elements of Harmony 2 (2017)
Transformers Rescue Bots: Ghost in the Machine (2017)
Peter Powers & the League of Lying Lizards (2017)
Justice League: Starro and the Cyberspore (2017)
Justice League: Amazo and the Planetary Reboot (2017)
Adventure Time: Finn & Jake's Travelogue (2017)
Marvelous Adventures: 3 Mighty Marvel Chapter Books in 1! (2017)
Peter Powers & the Sinister Snowman Showdown (2017)
Hanazuki: Book of Treasures (2017)
Peter Powers & the Swashbuckling Sky Pirates (2016)
Black Panther: Battle for Wakanda (2018)
The Far-from-Complete Compendium of Magiswords (2018)
The Sword That Wasn't There: A Choose-Your-Magisword Adventure! (2018)
Peter Powers & his Super-Powered Pals (2018)
Star Wars Droids Mad Libs (2018)
Wonder Woman Mad Libs (2018)
Justice League: Gorilla Grodd and the Primate Protocol (2018)
Justice League: Bizarro and the Doppelgängers of Doom (2018)
The Collective: 10 Play Anthology: Volume 5 (2018)
Avengers Doodle Book (2018)
Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest Volume 1: Beginning (2018)
Teen Titans Go!: The World-Famous Guidebook (2018)
Grow Up, Ant-Man! (2018)
Peter Powers & his Fantastic Family (2018)
Wonder Woman: Amazing Amazon: Cheetah Unleashed (2018)
Wonder Woman: Amazing Amazon: Circe's Dark Reign (2018)
Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest Volume 2: Aftermath (2018)
Rick & Morty Mad Libs Joke Book (2018)
Bob's Burgers Mad Libs Joke Book (2019)
The Amazing Adventures of Batman: Tricks and Treats! (2019)
The Amazing Adventures of Batman: Rain of Fear! (2019)
The Amazing Adventures of Batman: Bane Drain (2020)
The Amazing Adventures of Batman: The Terrible Twos (2020)
Beezer (2020)
Marvel Storybook Collection (2020)
Beezer and the Creeping Red (2021)
Pride Parade Mad Libs (2021)
Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines (2021)
What is the Story of Transformers? (2022)
Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines: The New Switcheroo (2022)
Batman Mad Libs (2022)
Richard Simmons Mad Libs (2022)
Lazarus Planet: Next Evolution #1 (2023)
Rube Goldberg and his Amazing Machines: Engine of Change (2023)
“Snider accurately conveys feelings of change and growth at a time when tweens are truly still children . . . Steckley’s black-and-white illustrations evoke the cluttered, mad-scientist feel of Rube’s workspace. . .” — Kirkus Reviews
Brandon T. Snider is the best-selling author of the award-winning Dark Knight Manual, as well as Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines and the Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest series.
Brandon has also penned many Mad Libs, including a Pride Parade version, a Star Wars version, and a Richard Simmons version. Additionally, he’s written books featuring Cartoon Network favorites like Adventure Time and Regular Show, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Black Panther, plus pop culture icons such as Justice League, Star Wars, and The Muppets.
Brandon has also written for and appeared on Comedy Central’s Inside Amy Schumer. As an actor he’s appeared on High Fidelity, The Deuce, Bull, Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as various commercials, plays and short films. Brandon lives in New York City, where he’s a member of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA.
Brandon T. Snider is the best-selling author of the the award-winning Dark Knight Manual as seen in Entertainment Weekly, Forbes, and Wired as well as the Avengers: Infinity War: The Cosmic Quest series. Additionally, he's written books featuring Cartoon Network favorites like Adventure Time and Regular Show, Marvel's Spider-Man and Black Panther, plus pop culture icons such as Justice League, Transformers, and The Muppets. Brandon has also written for and appeared on Comedy Central's Inside Amy Schumer. As an actor he's appeared on Bull, Rachel Dratch’s Late Night Snack, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and Law & Order: SVU, as well as various commercials, plays and short films. Brandon lives in New York City, where he's a member of the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. Find out more @ www.cootiekid.com
Snider, Brandon T. ENGINE OF CHANGE Amulet/Abrams (Children's None) $14.99 10, 3 ISBN: 9781419750083
Middle school inventor Rube Goldberg and his friends attempt to save their town from the nefarious Null Corporation.
In this third book in the Rube Goldberg and His Amazing Machines series, the quirky tween sets his mind to his biggest project yet: saving the town of Beechwood. After spotting what looks like a giant robot at the junkyard and finding plans detailing the closure of Beechwood Middle School, Rube rallies his friends to investigate. Rube's misfit friend group is still likable; Pearl is a natural, determined leader, in contrast to Boob's hopeless goofball nature. Rube's widowed father, previously never around and constantly traveling for work, returns home--and stays put--for this installment, even engaging in meaningful conversations with his son. There are plenty of plot twists, and the mystery is strong enough to keep series fans turning pages. That said, the stakes never feel high, and the villain's motivations feel flimsy, even though the story revolves around how the entirety of the town is threatened. The danger is discussed in broad terms but without the necessary specificity to make readers feel truly invested. Rube's machines aren't front and center, dampening the appeal for readers drawn to that element of the stories. Busy black-and-white illustrations add little to the overall reading experience. Pearl is Black; other main characters are white, and racial diversity is cued among the supporting cast.
An interesting if shallow mystery. (Mystery. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Snider, Brandon T.: ENGINE OF CHANGE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Nov. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A770738836/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=48d907a9. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.
Snider, Brandon T. THE NEW SWITCHEROO Amulet/Abrams (Children's None) $14.99 10, 11 ISBN: 978-1-4197-5006-9
Rube navigates middle school mayhem during the sixth grade election and Switcheroo Dance.
Rube Goldberg is back in this second book in the series inspired by the famous cartoonist. It's election season at Beechwood Middle, and Rube's friend Pearl Williams is running for class president. Even though he has good intentions, things get messy when Rube agrees to go to the dance with Pearl's opponent, Emilia Harris, and accidentally botches the irrigation device for Pearl's school garden project and her automated campaign flyer distributor. Snider introduces a trans girl named Reina Lopez and has Rube grapple with deep-rooted issues of racism (Pearl is Black), sundown towns, and antisemitism (Rube is Jewish). Another character comes out to a friend as gay. These frank conversations about oft-ignored parts of life and history are refreshing, though they sometimes read as heavy-handed, forced inclusion rather than naturally integrated character development. There isn't much to the plot, as it mostly centers around the election, and the epilogue makes a grab at trying to tie in a mystery from the first book that is shallowly included throughout the second. Steckley's black-and-white illustrations are at their best when showing detailed, sinister faces or busy details, as in the antiques store The Treasury, where Rube and his mom liked to browse.
A thin plotline that is only slightly redeemed by likable characters. (Fiction. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Snider, Brandon T.: THE NEW SWITCHEROO." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Sept. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A715352932/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=b3521302. Accessed 22 Mar. 2024.