Debut author M.E. Castle's humorous novel about a geeky science genius will impress middle-grade boys everywhere.
Twelve-year-old Fisher Bas fears he's "doomed forever to be a geek." He's routinely bullied by three boys, the Vikings (who "call themselves that to feel cool and tough"), he can't catch the attention of Veronica Greenwich, and his only friend is his pet FP, a flying pig. Having exceeded his sick days at school, Fisher turns to his Nobel Prize–winning mother's latest experiment, an accelerated growth hormone, to clone himself because, after all, "the best companion a boy can have is his own clone."
Soon, Fisher succeeds in cloning himself, dubbing him "Two," and educates him on how to imitate his every move so he can send him off to school while he relaxes back home with experiments and video games. Unexpected results occur: Two not only makes friends, but stands up to the Vikings--and the adventure really picks up when he's "clone-napped" by rival scientist Dr. Xander. Fisher will have to learn to accept himself if he's to rescue Two.
Castle never deters readers with challenging scientific terms and livens things up with Fisher's Clone Log and entertaining epigraphs. Paired with illustrations, Popular Clone is accessible to new chapter book readers and just right for fans of Michael Buckley's NERDS series. --Adam Silvera, events assistant, Books of Wonder, New York