This is the second book in David’s Nathan Abercrombie, Accidental Zombie series and you can find a review of the first book, My Rotten Life, over at BSCreview.  Those were pre-BSCkids times, and now we know where to find all of the good kids reviews.    Well I enjoyed the first book, and I was a bit intrigued by where Lubar would go with the series.  I will say that he has surprised me in the second book, with the direction that the story takes with half-dead zombie, Nathan Abercrombie.

Nathan Abercrombie is getting used to his rotten life as a half-dead zombie. The good thing is he doesn’t feel any pain. The bad thing is his body can’t heal, so he has to be really careful not to break anything. But that’s hard to do when his wrestling-obsessed gym teacher, Mr. Lomux, matches him up with Rodney the bully, who’s looking for any excuse to break his bones. Then one day, Nathan is approached by the secret organization B.U.M.—aka the Bureau of Useful Misadventures—which offers him a cure in exchange for his help. Nathan jumps at the chance to become the world’s first zombie spy, but soon discovers that B.U.M. isn’t quite what it seems. Can Nathan trust them?

This was a very quick read for me, as the flow of the book worked well.  Lubar does an exceptional job at keeping the story of a zombie grounded in reality, if you can believe that.  The characters that surround Nathan are ones we can relate to, if we can remember back to that time in our life.  Each of the characters all have their own quirks and personal issues and that makes them seem real.  Plus, what boy does not remember taking wrestling in school?  The plot Nathan comes up with to trick his gym teacher so that the boys do not have to really wrestle is pure genius and I had wish I had thought of it when I was in school.  Nathan’s plans seem to always seem to go south at some point, so it is up to his friends to help him out when things go wrong. 

Lubarknows his inner child and it shows in his writing.  He is also adapt with keeping the humor in the book fun, without overdoing it as many other authors can.  Lubar uses some good misdirection with the plot without making it frustrating for his intended audience.  I like Nathan, and even though he gets to do some things with his zombie body that every kid dreams about, it does come with the price of being a zombie.  He does seem to be taking the part of being half-dead pretty well.

In this book, the secret organization B.U.M. (Bureau of Useful Misadventures) wants Nathan as a spy and they will also offer him some help with his zombie issues, but can he trust them?  B.U.M. does not seem all that concerned with letting Nathan know the full extent of their department or even the full story for the missions they have him running.    Things may not always be as they seem.  The introduction of B.U.M. into the storyline works for me, and it brings a bigger plot to the story.  I look forward to the next book in the series.

My daughter and I love to read manga together at bedtime.  She might be ten, but she’s not too old to have fun reading aloud with her mom, especially when it is The Big Adventures of Majoko.  Majoko is a girl witch who is still in training, and she makes a lot of mistakes as she’s learning.  She is the opposite personality to Nana, a quiet girl who keeps a diary of their adventures together.  Nana encourages Majoko to keep trying to improve her magic skills, but sometimes Majoko really gets them into trouble and they have to work together to find a way out.  Majoko left the diary in the human world to find a friend, and Nana finds it while cleaning her room to look for a necklace she has lost.  Imagine her surprise when a little girl, like herself but wearing a witch hat and a pink cape, pops out of the diary, which she has never seen before, and calls her “useless.” 

Majoko was hoping that a cute boy would find the diary and be her friend, but she settles for shy Nana and they begin a friendship full of excitement and fun.  They both learn to trust each other and believe in themselves, and Nana is thrilled when the two of them work together and find her missing necklace.  When Majoko casts spells – which always go wrong! – she says, “Majomajo Majoko!” For some reason, I can’t say the first word right, so my daughter has to yell it out when it is time for Majoko to start some trouble, accidentally, of course. 

This is a fun story, and you never know what the girls will be up to next.  You can read a preview of The Big Adventures of Majoko at Manga for Kids.

Another update on the G.I. Joecon set – Vacation in the Shadows – as the Red Shadows Trooper has made its way online! This one is all win, and probably the best figure from the set thus far in my opinion.

Here at Kids, we showed you the rest of the released figures (now just waiting on Cobra Interrogator!). There will six of these troopers in each set, matching the six Red Torches–giving you your Red Shadows army to be led by the Black Major!

Again, these will make their debut at this year’s G.I. Joe Con, and you can read the brochure for the event to learn what you need to know. The con will be hosed at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, RI on April 29 – May 2, 2010! I offered deeper thoughts on the previous characters released over at Vogue Immunity.

Just more excited about this set!

The Disney Channel will have the premiere of Tokyo Mater on Friday, March 12th at 8:55 p.m. ET/PT and Disney XD will present it on Monday March 29th at 7:23 p.m ET/PT.

I am super excited, as I did not see this yet and I am sure both of my boys will be happy to see their friends Lightning McQueen and Mater.  You can find our preview of the last Cars comic from Boom! here.  I grabbed the synopsis from wikipedia for you of Tokyo Mater.

The beginning of the film Lightning and Mater watch The Delinquent Road Hazards Drift down the road and Mater tells Lightning that he used to be the Drift King in Tokyo. Then Mater finds himself in Tokyo after offering to tow a Japanese car home, and is challenged to a race by The Drift King resembling Boost (leader of The Delinquent Road Hazards), where the winner would be crowned “King of Drifting” and the loser would become a stock car. 

The first season two episode of Sonny with a Chance will be called “Walk A Mile In My Pants”.  The episode will air on March 14th and will feature a Walk-A-Thon for books where everyone is wearing Tawni Hart’s Extreme Skinny Jearns.  Chad obviously has to start a Walk-A-Thon against books, but still has his group wearing the jeans. 

Obviously things do not go well, but it sure sounds like a fun episode to kick the season off with.  I love the dynamic between the So Random show and MacKenzie Falls and how the relationship between Sonny and Chad works.

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The second season of the hit comedy series “Sonny With A Chance” – highlighted by clever new ‘So Random’ sketches that further showcase the ensemble cast’s tremendous comedic talent – will premiere SUNDAY, MARCH 14 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel. Starring are Demi Lovato, Tiffany Thornton, Sterling Knight, Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochu and Allisyn Ashley Arm. Recurring cast members include Nancy McKeon, Michael Kostroff and Vicki Lewis.

The series was recently nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award in the Favorite TV series category and its title star, Demi Lovato, won a Teen Choice Award in the Choice TV Breakout Star category.

New episodes follow Sonny as she lives out her dream of starring on her favorite sketch comedy show for tweens, “So Random!” in Hollywood, she tries to balance her friendships with the everyday problems that pop up at school and on set. Throughout the second season, viewers will see the progression of Sonny and Chad’s ever-evolving relationship, Sonny’s new foray into singing, among a continued comedy of errors by the ensemble cast.

In the premiere episode entitled “Walk A Mile In My Pants,” Sonny rallies everyone together for a “Walk-A-Thon For Books” and gets Tawni to donate her ‘Tawni Hart’s Extreme Skinny Jeans’ for all of the participants to wear. When Chad finds out, he follows suit and organizes a “Walk-A-Thon Against Books” with participants also wearing Tawni’s pants. Eventually everyone starts dropping like flies as a result of SPS (Skinny Pants Syndrome).

In 2009, “Sonny With A Chance” ranked among the Top 5 live-action series in Kids 6-11 (1.5 million/6.2 rating), and among the Top 5 scripted series on all television in Tweens 9-14 (1.4 million/5.8 rating). The series is currently the #1 TV program in its primary Sunday 8 o’clock time slot in key kid demos, and cable’s No. 1 program in Total Viewers. (Source: NTI, U.S. ratings, Live + 7. 2009, 12/29/08-12/27/09.)

“Sonny With A Chance” was created by Steve Marmel (“Yin Yang Yo,” “Fairly Odd Parents”), who also executive-produces along with Michael Feldman (Disney Channel’s “That’s So Raven” and “Cory in the House”). Brian Robbins (“Varsity Blues,” “One Tree Hill,” “Smallville” and “All That”) and his producing partner, Sharla Sumpter Bridgett (“Wild Hogs,” “Coach Carter”), also serve as executive producers under their company, Varsity Pictures. The series is from It’s a Laugh Productions.

More from Toy Story 3, and BSCkids loves it! We’ve already introduced you to some new faces in Mr. Pricklepants, Ken, Peas-in-a-Pod, Buttercup, and my personal favorite, Lotso (Lots-O-Huggin’ Bear), and today we have two images, one introducing us to Trixie! The other (above) features Lotso front-and-center with Buzz and Woody (well, at least Buzz–Woody don’t look too happy!)

Toy Story 3 hits us this summer on June 18th, brought us in 3-D by Disney and Pixar! Back are Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, as well as Joan Cusack, Wallace Shawn, John Morris, Don Rickles, Estelle Harris, John Ratzenberger and Jodi Benson, while adding to the cast Timothy Dalton (Mr. Pricklepants), Michael Keaton (Ken), Kristen Schaal, and Blake Clark. We can’t wait!

Here is the scoop on Trixie (voiced by Flight of the Conchords’ Kristen Schaal) supplied by Empire:

Trixie is a perfect playmate for prehistoric playtime! Visit the era when dinosaurs ruled the Earth! Made of rigid, durable plastic and in friendly shades of blue and purple, Trixie features an expressive mouth and movable legs. This gentle Triceratops will feed any child’s imagination. Also available: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus and Velociraptor.

Below we have a public service announcement from Nick Jonas, bringing attention to the Battle of the Bands that I grabbed over from USA Today. The goal is to bring awareness to increasing budget cuts in the educational system that often see music courses/classes as their first victim.

You can help by literally adding your voice to the cause by going to Dosomething.org, as both they and VH1 Save The Music Foundation have joined forces for the cause. The campaign starts March 1st and through April 16th.

The end of last month brought us Jonas’ album Who I Am, which was released on Myspace.

So this is a bit like Glee, but for the younger crowd, and considering the following that Glee has, a very good idea for Nickelodeon.  Victorious will premiere March 27th following the KCAs and should be welcomed warmly. 

The show is from the same people who gave the station iCarly and will give you musical numbers and drama like like Glee, but in the tween form.  You can check out a clip below and then tune in March 27th and tell us what you think of the show.  Me personally I like the girl who is stuck in the shadow of her older sister story, I think it is probably very real to those that have older siblings.

Victorious

Chaos is coming to Tori Vega’s life. The 16 year old is starting at a new high school; but not just any school. This is Hollywood Arts, a performing arts school where crazy talented students learn how to become real artists.. Until now, Tori didn’t think she had much talent of her own, and was content to live in the shadow of her older sister, Trina. Now, that’s all about to change… if Tori can see herself in a new light, even a spotlight! But Hollywood Arts is still a high school, and Tori is still the new kid. She’ll have to find new friends, do homework, and just try to fit in. Will Tori grab a starring role in her new life?

My favorite film from childhood was definitely The Bad News Bears. Tatum O’Neal and all the scruffy outsider kids on that little league team made me feel like anything was possible, even if I didn’t have a life that fit the mold or looked “normal” to other people. It was so life-changing for me to see a story where the girl could do something better than the boys (pitch baseball).

The dialogue was incredible – if you see the movie today, Walter Matthau and Tatum’s performances completely hold up. The director, Michael Ritchie, was an innovator. There is a very organic, unaffected quality to the comedy that influenced me creatively, as well. Hard to find a film that inspires you personally and professionally, but the original Bad News Bears certainly fits the bill.

Pixar rounds out today’s Boom! Studios previews! Can’t go wrong when choosing from Muppets, classic Disney or Pixar, and now we have the preview for Wall-E#3, an issue brought to us by J. Torres and Morgan Luthi. Get this issue on February 24th!

What’s it About?

Set before the events of the blockbuster feature film, we learn how the unlikely duo of a robot and a cockroach became fast friends! You won’t want to miss an issue of this new ongoing series based on the smash-hit film from BOOM Kids!

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