Bound To Stay Bound

Bulletin for the Center... - 05/01/2011 Scrub is pretty sure that his already stunted social life is not going to be helped by spending the summer with his grandmother at her rural guest accommodation, the Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast. He certainly didn’t expect his whole life to be upended, however, as it is when he realizes that his grandma isn’t running a cutely titled theme destination but actually hosting real, albeit disguised, aliens, most of whom just want a fun vacation on a primitive planet. Familiar with what it feels like to not fit in, Scrub ably adapts to the job of helping his grandmother keep her business a secret, while also showing the “tourists” a good time. Along the way, he also experiences his first real crush, learns more about his family, and gains a better understanding of his own quiet strengths. Smith balances these milestones with plenty of oddball humor, mostly in the form of Scrub’s efforts to transform the visitors—for example, giant tree-like beings—into ordinary-looking kids with little more than stage makeup and lots of used clothing at his disposal. Short chapters and cheerful illustrations at the beginning of each chapter make the sometimes-complex philosophical debates about interplanetary travel and the rights of humans as “owners” of the Earth more accessible. Readers will likely be as disappointed as Scrub when the end of summer arrives and he has to leave behind his new girl, his beloved grandma, and, of course, the endlessly entertaining stream of aliens who need his disguising skills. AS - Copyright 2011 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 05/15/2011 David—better known to his friends as Scrub—is a long way from his sunny Florida home the summer before his seventh-grade year, having been dumped by his ultrabusy parents in gloomy Washington State. He stays with his grandmother, Sunshine, who runs a dumpy inn in her huge home called the Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast. Scrub soon realizes that not all is as it seems at the B and B when he accidentally walks into a restricted restroom that has a urinal on the ceiling. Also, his grandmother’s guests struggle with the finer points of the English language and exhibit an otherworldly eccentricity. When a strange blue light from under his closet door wakes Scrub one night, he can no longer deny his suspicions about his grandmother and her borders. The plot is nothing new, but Smith, a teacher and screenplay writer, delivers a first novel about being a stranger in a strange land that many middle-schoolers will find funny and relatable. Slade adds a few goofy touches in the black-and-white spot art. - Copyright 2011 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 07/01/2011 Gr 5–7—Instead of enjoying summer hanging out in the Florida sunshine, Scrub has been shipped clear out to Washington state to work at his grandmother's space-themed inn. He quickly realizes that the Intergalactic Bed & Breakfast is not merely a clever name. Grandma's guests are actual aliens—from outer space—looking for a relaxing holiday on our quaint backwater planet. Grandma and Scrub try to provide appropriate Earth disguises for excursions, but it's tricky for tentacled, three-eyed, or 10-foot-tall travelers to pass through unobtrusively. The local townsfolk are leery of Grandma's New Age lifestyle and her unusual guests who don't speak English well and have odd customs and mannerisms. Scrub's new friend Amy seems particularly determined to solve the mystery of the inn's clientele—and, unfortunately, her dad is the town sheriff, who would relish an excuse to close Grandma down for good. When the growing suspicion boils over into mob action, it's up to Scrub to save his grandmother's secret—and her livelihood. This deceptively lighthearted tale includes plenty of chuckles. Scrub's chaotic campout with three rowdy juvenile aliens is especially funny. Each chapter is headed by an amusing illustration of a "Tourist"—often in Earth disguise. There is also a powerful message about tolerance and responsibility. The town's mounting prejudice and fear creates an atmosphere of conflict, and the final confrontation with the terrified crowd is genuinely tense. A good choice for young science fiction fans, with special appeal to middle-school boys.—Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL - Copyright 2011 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

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