MMGM: Series Spotlight And Give-Away

The Clone Chronicles

About Book I: Meet Fisher Bas: 12 years-old, growth-stunted, a geeky science genius, and son of the Nobel Prize-winning creators of the Bas-Hermaphrodite-Sea-Slug-Hypothesis. No surprise: Fisher isn't exactly the most popular kid in his middle-school, tormented daily by the beefy, overgrown goons he calls The Vikings. But he senses relief when he comes upon the idea of cloning himself--creating a second Fisher to go to school each day while he stays at home playing video games and eating cheetos with ketchup. It's an ingenious plan that works brilliantly, until Fisher's clone turns out to be more popular than him--and soon after gets clone-napped by the evil scientist Dr. Xander.

First Line: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For every geeks, freak, or nerd, there are three massive and ruthless meatheads. Ergo: the universe does not like geeks.  -Fisher Bas, Scientific Principles and Observations of the Natural World (unpublished)

What Others Are Saying: "Castle’s debut, the first in a planned series, strikes just the right balance of humor and action and is sure to keep young readers turning the pages. Fisher’s struggles to fit in, to relate to girls and to uncover and preserve his true self feel genuine, making him a misfit and unlikely hero worth rooting for."

—Kirkus Reviews

“Fisher’s wild imagination and sincerity fuel Castle’s debut novel…Heavy doses of self-deprecating humor, high-tech wizardry, and goofy middle-school antics add up to an amusing and action-packed adventure.” — Publishers Weekly
Bloggers Weigh In:
Boys and Literacy
Kids And Books

About Book II: Fisher Bas and Two were able to thwart the evil Dr. X, but after somehow surviving the explosion at TechX Enterprises, Two is in Hollywood looking for his "mother." Fisher must bring him back to Palo Alto before his cloning secret is discovered. When a class field trip to see the Dr. Devilish science show arises, it becomes the perfect opportunity for Fisher to find his clone. But all kinds of complications will get in the way--including Amanda Cantrell, who knows more than Fisher would like about Two's identity.
As Fisher, FP, and Amanda team up to find Two, they find trouble, high jinx, and the return of an evil mastermind--all set in the glitz of Hollywood.

First Line: "It's a tough life, being a middle schooler,
                You have to watch out for yourself.
                Or, in my case, all of your selves. —Fisher bas, Journal

What Others Are Saying: "The heart of the story, however, is what makes this book special, and it resides with Fisher, who struggles mightily with his own sense of self-worth when faced with a mirror image of himself that seems to have it all. A successful balance of fizz and substance. —Kirkus


Bloggers Weigh In:
Ms. Yingling Reads
A Book And A Hug

About The Author: M.E. Castle
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Who: M.E. Castle is a writer and actor working in the glorious center of the universe, New York City. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2008 with a degree in Theatre and has written a number of short stories, only a handful of which have ever been seen by an audience wider than his closest friends. 
Throughout his college years, he was one of the leading writers of the noir detective radio drama The Dead Hear Footsteps, to which he also lent his vocal talents.

What I Thought Of This Series: This hilarious series reminded me of Jimmy Neutron, except it's set in a middle school which makes it even funnier. I love Fisher Bas! His smart wit and cluelessness about girls endeared him to me. The rest of the characters all have their own quirks and foibles. I'm afraid I imagined this as an animated film, rather  than real people, Castle's antics and imagination are over the top, but in a good way. I recommend this to 7-13 year olds, especially boys! If you haven't read this yet, enter to win Cloneward Bound. Even though it's the second in the series, it stands alone. I'm sure after reading it you'll decide you want to read the first, anyway.

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