Title: I Lost My Grandfather's Brain
Author: Bruce Coville
Published: Pocket, 1999
Suitable for: (Age/Grade Level) ?
Length: 164pp.
Reading Level: Interest Level grades
Genre: science fiction
Plot:
Plesket is going to sixth grade in Syracuse, New York. He is the son of the alien ambassador from Hevi Hevi.
His best friend Tim appears to be talking to the tabloid press about him. Does Tim only like Plesket because he can
sell stories about him? As if things could not get any worse, Plesket takes his grandfathers brain to school and loses
it. Yes grandfather is dead of body but his brain can still communicate with his grandson and others.
Characters:
Plesket, an alien boy with purple skin and a knob on the top of his head.
Tim, the best friend of Plesket. He is what many would call a nerd or geek.
McNally, the human body guard of Plesket.
Linnsey, the female friend of Tim and Plesket.
Discussion Questions:
Normally McNally hates the coffee that Shhh-foop (sic) makes but he makes an exception in this story. Why?
Why does Pleskit bring grandfather to school?
What were some of the bad stories in the National Scoop?
Why did Plesket think that Tim was talking to the National Scoop about him?
How is Jordan able to charm Plesket and others?
Why is McNally angry with Jordan?
Who are the two new kids in class? What are they like?
What advice does Linnsey give Tim on page 78-9?
What did Briana do to Tim?
Related Activities:
The following quote describes Hevi Hevian education:
"Well there you go. In a culture that truely values children, it would not be tolerable for one school to be
inferior to another. All schools would receive an equal share of resources and be required to meet equally high
standards." p31
Why does it not describe schools in America? Do some research and ask your parents about the differences in schools.
What are tabloids? What type of stories do they write? How do they get their facts?
Do some research. Find out about people that have sued tabloids for telling false stories. Carol Burnett was one
who sued because she was accused of being an alcoholic.
What are the differences between the way Americans treat their elderly and the Hevi Hevi treat their elderly?
What are the similarities?
Should children of famous people such as the sons of Princess Diana be sheltered by the Press?
Write a story for the National Scoop on Plesket's eating habits. (page 71)
Related Works: My Teacher is an Alien
Censorship Issues: The reproduction of aliens by, in this case, eggs is handled very tastefully, but some
may not want to use this as a topic of discussion.
Title: My Teacher is an Alien
Author: Bruce Coville
Plot:
Peter and Susan are in Ms. Schwartz's sixth grade class. Ms. Schwartz is the coolest teacher in the world because
she reads good books in class -- not dumb textbooks and has a play every year. One day, a male substitute teacher
take over the class. He makes everyone read the textbooks and puts lots of red marks on their papers. Susan follows
him home one day and hears a funny noise. She sneaks into Mr. Smith's house and discovers Mr. Smith peeling off his
face. She over hears Mr. Smith talking to the mirror about a plan to kidnap school children to take them back to his
planet for study. Later, she and Peter (class genius) go back to Mr. Smith's house and discover Ms. Schwartz is a
stasis field. Mr.Smith / Broxholm is planning to take back with him five "average" kids. When the students in the
class hear this -- no one wants to act "average". Finally the band concert gives Susan a chance to unmask Broxholm.
Peter helps prevent Broxholm from being captured and agrees to leave with the alien to go to the stars.
Discussion Questions:
What is the difference between "book smarts" and "life smarts"? Which characters have which?
On page 11, Susan describes Ms. Schwartz's method of teaching reading. Who's method do YOU prefer -- Ms. Schwartz
or Mr. Smith?
Why doesn't Susan like the way Mr. Smith checks papers?
Who would you tell if you thought your teacher was an alien? Why did you choose this person?
Why do all the adults trust Mr. Smith?
Susan's mother says, "Oh Edward...you seem to think that you can treat Susan the same way as you would a boy."
Do parents treat boys and girls differently? Give examples.
How did Susan and Peter prove Mr. Smith was an alien?
What did the principal think happened to Ms. Schwartz?
What makes an AVERAGE student? If you knew that an AVERAGE child would be taken to outer space by aliens -- what
would you do to make sure that you would NOT be chosen? Or what would you do if you wanted to be chosen?
Title: My Teacher Flunked the Planet
Author: Bruce Coville
Plot:
The Earth Question is going to be decided. Plan A calls for Earth to be left alone. Plan B calls for the aliens to
take over the Earth and stop wars, disease and poverty BUT control Earth. Plan C calls for Earth to be restricted
to the solar system by sabotaging scientific advancement. Plan D calls for the destruction of Earth.
Peter, Susan, Duncan, Broxholm, and Kreblim (the home economics teacher) agreed to do the report. They have to be
fair because BIG JULIE is watching. They pretend that Susan won a home economics scholarship and that Kreblim will
travel with her. They visit a forest dying of acid rain, a chemical spill in Russia, war in Asia, and starving people
in Africa. "Last year fourteen million children died because we chose to spend our money elsewhere." They also go to
a children's shelter for runaways where they meet Ms. Schwartz and Peter's dad. They are in disguise so are not
recognized. They begin to understand how Peter's dad has trouble showing love for his son. They also learn that
Hoo-Lan has used Earth's television programing to slow down scientific advancement. Television watching makes us
STUPID! They also discover that all humans are connected mentally but we block it. Peter asks the council to send
teachers to Earth to train humans so we are ready to take our place with the more advanced alien races.
Discussion Questions:
How did Susan talk her parents into letting her travel with the aliens?
Describe BIG JULIE. What does he look like and what does he eat?
Why did aliens choose children to explain the "human heart" rather than adults?
Why did Kreblin say "It's as if there is some secret rage driving you to destroy things around you."
Why was Duncan the only one that could answer the door when the police came?
Why did Hoo-Lan take Peter to the Tisha Halmton Home for Wayward Youth?
How did Peter prevent the aliens from using Plan D?
Related Activities:
Research famous people that were or are known for their intelligence.
If you were Mr. Smith / Broxholm, who would you pick from your class to study and why? (Pick only POSITIVE
traits about your fellow students)
Research the circle of child abuse. How has Duncan's treatment by his father affected the way he treats other children?
Peter says "I'll bet you this very minute, even while you are reading these words, some kid who's bright enough to
cure cancer when he or she grows up is being hassled for being an egghead." Is Peter correct? Give examples.
Television is called the "vast wasteland." Do you think television affects how you learn and behave? What do
experts think?
Research the problem of hunger in America?
Is teaching the world's most important job? Why are teachers in America treated with so little respect?
Title: Lizard Music
Author: D. Manus Pinkwater
Published: Dodd Mead, 1976?
Suitable for: (Age/Grade Level) grade 5-8
Length: 157pp.
Reading Level: 6, Interest Level grades 6-12
Need Addressed: Humor, Being different
Genre: science fiction
Plot:
Victor's parents go away for two weeks and his older sister takes off with her boyfriend. Victor manages to take
care of himself. He does notice a number of "Lizard incidents" and discovers that there is an invisible island
with a colony of intelligent lizards living in the lake nearby.
Characters:
Victor - a boy who many would call a geek or nerd. His hero is Walter Chronkite, the television news anchor.
Chicken Man - a strange black man that has a pet chicken under his hat. He has a number of other names as well.
Use: Individual, but could make an interesting large group discussion. I find it a fun book to read out loud
which is not surprising since Pinkwater often speaks on public radio.
Discussion Questions:
What references are there in this story to Chicago? What is Hambergerville's real name? What is the real name of the
Hogsboro Zoo? What is the real name of Lake Mishaboo?
What did Victor do to keep his parents from worrying about him being alone? What places did Victor see lizards?
How does Victor describe game shows? Are game shows of the seventies the same as game shows of today?
What are some other names for the Chicken Man?
How did Victor get to Lizard Island?
What was unusual about Claudia?
Note: D. Manus Pinkwater and Daniel M. Pinkwater are the same person. He changes which version of his name
he uses for his childrens books because he knows it drives librarians crazy.
Related Works: The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death
Censorship Issues: Some may be upset by Victor trying to smoke a cigarette. Others may be upset by the
word "boobs" as a portion of female anatomy.
Title: My Teacher Fried My Brains
Author: Bruce Coville
Plot:
The story is told from the class bully's perspective. Duncan is having a terrible first day in junior high. He has
a fight with his brother, his father hits him in the head, he gets lost looking for his classroom, Susan saves him
from being hit by a bully; Mr. Black makes him stand out in the hall for being late and talking.
Duncan is bored so he pulls the fire alarm. He realizes too late that the purple ink will give him away so he hides
in the dumpster where he finds a glove made of very human-like skin. Duncan realizes that there must be another
alien pretending to be a teacher. His science teacher uses a machine that generates electricity. Duncan volunteers
to be a subject and finds an unexpected benefit -- the machine has stimulated his brain and made him smarter. He even
begins to enjoy reading books! He sneaks into the school to give himself additional treatments. However it turns out
to be the sympathetic home economics teacher that is the alien and she needs Duncan's brain as a communication device.
As a human radio, Duncan can communicate with Peter on the alien ship. Duncan, Susan, Peter, Broxholm, decide to work
on saving the Earth from the aliens that want to destroy it. These aliens that dislike humans are upset over the humans
being so war-like and harming the environment.
Discussion Questions:
Why was Duncan so mean to everyone?
What was Duncan's horrible, terrible, no good, very bad first day at junior high like?
How do poots reproduce themselves?
Why did Duncan suspect the science teacher was an alien?
How did the "brain fry" change Duncan?
Why did Mr. Thomson think Duncan was Peter's best friend?
Where did Mr. Thomson think Peter was? Where was Peter really?
Describe Kreblim. What did she look like without her mask?
Why should Duncan have guessed it was the home economics teacher as the alien -- not the science teacher.
Why are aliens so interested in the human brain?
Describe Duncan's parents. Why did Duncan say his life was not like "Leave it to Beaver"?
Why did Duncan talk to the reporter?
Why did Kreblim need Duncan's brain? Why did she choose Duncan over other kids in the school?
Who is going to make a report on the Earth Question? Do you think this team will make a fair report?br/>
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