Whales on Stilts!
by M.T. Anderson

This books comes from a series titled “M.T. Anderson’s Thrilling Tales,” which also includes the title The Clue of the Linoleum Lederhosen. You can probably tell already that there’s something goofy about this series. So I’ll give it to you straight: THIS IS A SPOOF. It is MEANT to make you snicker.

What is being spoofed? Not just one book, movie, or TV series, but a whole genre of them, stretching from probably the 1940s to the 1960s. All the sci-fi movie serials that used to play in the old Paramount Theatre downtown, where they show art films now. The gosh-wow, action-packed novels that are still on the bookshelf in your uncleÂ’s old bedroom when you go to visit Grandma and Grandpa. The cartoons and TV shows that have made every generation of parents scratch their heads and wonder whatÂ’s gotten into their kids. Maybe even some comic books and old-time radio plays. Everything from The War of the Worlds to the adventures of Tom Swift, from Flash Gordon to the Power Rangers...you name it, Anderson hits it between the eyes.

I donÂ’t want to spoil the plot for you. I want you to discover it as I did, giggling all the way. Look at the front cover, which shows a couple of whales on tall, metal stilts, rampaging through a town and shooting buildings with lasers that come out of their eyes. In the foreground, three children: a boy dressed like a World War I aviator, a terrified but ditzy-looking girl clutching a vintage phonograph, and a tomboy-ish girl with bangs over her eyes, looking very determined. If that doesnÂ’t say it all, maybe this quote will help you decide whether this book is for you. ItÂ’s the first paragraph of the book:

On Career Day Lily visited her dadÂ’s work with him and discovered that he worked for a mad scientist who wanted to rule the earth through destruction and desolation.

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 10+

If you would like to contact Robbie, you may do so here.