Goop Soup: Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie book 3 by David Lubar

Nathan Abercrombie, fifth grader, is in training to be a super-spy. But will he complete his training in time to save the city from a dangerous and subversive terrorist group? As if saving the world isn’t difficult enough, Nathan must cope with being a zombie, the living-dead. For everyone’s safety, he must keep this and his spy activity a secret from his watchful parents.

This is totally the kind of book I would have devoured as a kid. I adored The Magic School Bus books and in many ways, Goop Soup reminds me of the former series expect Goop is for an audience willing to read text with no pictures. Science abounds in Goop Soup as Nathan and his friends Mookie and girl-genius Abigail come up with solutions to world-crushing problems. Don’t have a temperature because you’re dead? No problem. Chemistry is here to the rescue. With a little help from BUM, the spy agency that has recruited Nathan, and his trusty friends, there is no problem that a little scientific research can’t solve.

I’m encouraged to see a new (to me) series that will excite kids about the sciences. I think it’s important for youngsters to know that science is something they can do and can be fun, not just a bunch of hard work.  And I think Lubar’s new book does that.

In the back of the book there is a Reader’s Guide with some excellent questions. Some require kids to do a little research while others involve written responses like poems and letters. Geesh, they were even fun for me to think about. I think Goop Soup will appeal to both boys and girls who like science or who are looking for an adventurous story. I definitely recommend this book to parents of young readers.

Publisher: Starscape, 2010      Pages: 176       Recommended Age: 9-12

Rating: 5 Stars                           Source: received for free from the author. Thanks, Mr. Lubar!

P.S. I really did like this book and receiving the text in no way influenced my rating. 
Check out David Lubar's website for info on his books, humor and more!