Morgan (McFactoid) McCracken spews random (but fascinating) facts whenever he gets flustered. As if that's not enough to warrant getting picked on, Morgan actually has to shave! And that's too much for Brad Buckholtz, a witless bully, who constantly beats up Morgan. As an aspiring inventor, Morgan figures if he can just come up with a product that will stop his facial hair from growing, then Buckholtz will no longer have a reason to pummel him. Besides, eliminating the need to shave will save people time, energy, and money, as well as making Morgan wealthy enough to pay off his family's debts and save them from losing their house.
With the help of Robin, the beautiful girl who lives next door, as well as an extremely inventive talking parrot, Morgan stumbles upon something potentially much more lucrative—a hair growing formula. And the bald world literally beats a path to his door. Overnight, Morgan becomes an international celebrity, entertaining absurdly lavish offers from cosmetics companies. Suddenly everyone wants to be his friend, including Brad Buckholtz. Everyone except the one person he cares about—Robin. She doesn’t think there is anything wrong with either having whiskers or being bald. In fact, she has always wondered whether people liked her for who she was on the
inside, or what she looked like on the
outside. She would never respect, and she will definitely not support, someone who sells his soul to superficiality.
After escaping formula snatchers and kidnappers, with the insights gained from some well-timed bird poop and one very smart girl, Morgan makes his choice between fame and fortune and his heart's desire.
Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a
New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.
"Morgan (McFactoid) McCracken spews random (but fascinating) facts whenever he gets flustered. As if that's not enough to warrant getting picked on, Morgan actually has to shave! And that's too much for Brad Buckholtz, a witless bully, who constantly beats up Morgan. As an aspiring inventor, Morgan figures if he can just come up with a product that will stop his facial hair from growing, then Buckholtz will no longer have a reason to pummel him. Besides, eliminating the need to shave will save people time, energy, and money, as well as making Morgan wealthy enough to pay off his family's debts and save them from losing their house. With the help of Robin, the beautiful girl who lives next door, as well as an extremely inventive talking parrot, Morgan stumbles upon something potentially much more lucrativea hair growing formula. And the bald world literally beats a path to his door. Overnight, Morgan becomes an international celebrity, entertaining absurdly lavish offers from cosmetics companies. Suddenly everyone wants to be his friend, including Brad Buckholtz. Everyone except the one person he cares about Robin. She doesn't think there is anything wrong with either having whiskers or being bald. In fact, she has always wondered whether people liked her for who she was on the "inside," or what she looked like on the "outside." She would never respect, and she will definitely not support, someone who sells his soul to superficiality. After escaping formula snatchers and kidnappers, with the insights gained from some well-timed bird poop and one very smart girl, Morgan makes his choice between fame and fortune and his heart's desire."--Provided by publisher.
"You’ll enjoy this witty, tongue-in-cheek journey just as much as the destination.
The McVentures of Me, Morgan McFactoid is a quick and enjoyable read, filled with fun and endearing little facts that are as quirky as the narrator.”—
Foreword Reviews"Life takes a decidedly exciting turn for nerdy young genius Morgan McCracken when a bolt of lightning transforms an experimental hair-removal formula he has concocted in his garage workshop into a superfast (if temporary) hair grower. Not only does the red goop prove eminently useful for frightening off a vicious bully, it instantly brings balding crowds to his doorstep, waving humongous amounts of cash. Even more thrilling, Morgan connects with dazzling schoolmate Robin over a shared penchant for random facts (“Marie Curie’s notebooks are still radioactive. And Donald Duck never wore pants”). Ultimately Morgan comes around to Robin’s view that outer appearances mean nothing compared to what’s inside, and passes up the prospect of wealth and fame. Whether or not readers buy into his line of reasoning, they will enjoy his highly comical misadventures and perhaps even give his “secret” recipe—composed of dozens of household ingredients and included in its entirety—a whirl." —
Booklist"Kids will root for Morgan as he makes tough choices. VERDICT: A solid purchase; ideal for reluctant readers and those interested in science."—
School Library Journal
