THE SEEMS

Thirteen-year-old Becker Drane’s career as the youngest-ever Fixer brings him up against a World-threatening explosion in this sequel to The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep (2007). The Seems, the behind-the-scenes organization that keeps The World running, has been attacked by the terrorist organization The Tide, which has constructed a Time Bomb out of some trays of Frozen Moments and a Second Splitter in the Department of Time. If Becker and his fellow Fixers don’t contain the Split Second, the universe will be destroyed in the flood of Essence of Time. Aided by a slew of trademarked devices (such as a Can of Buttwhuppin™, a Hot Potato™ and a This, That, & the Other Thing™), Becker and his slightly stereotypical crew of friends and colleagues save the world for hope and whimsy. Heartwarming fluff follows predictable story lines with original and silly set-dressing. The cutesy puns can wear somewhat but are charming overall—in this small, book-length dose. (appendices: glossary, “Time Is of The Essence,” “Tools of the Trade,” “Post Mission Report”) (Fantasy. 9-11)