The Mystery of the Giant Kohlrabi
(2021)(The first book in the Nero Zero the Hero series)
A novel by Sharon Plumb
Clementine grabbed Nero's arm as they tiptoed through the dark room. "Do you hear footsteps?"
Nero listened. "That's not footsteps. That's...slurping!"
When Nero and his family go to help their relatives harvest their top-secret genetically engineered house-sized vegetables, he expects to sleep in a pumpkin house. He doesn't expect to be given rutabaga pie to eat. Isn't a rutabaga a kind of turnip? Or to encounter vegetables with spikes, teeth and sword leaves, or a broccoli-headed alien that tries to buck him off its branch. He certainly doesn't expect to find a Martian vegetable with a sliding front door, or a crawly, underground weapon about to devour the garden.
It's a good thing he has his trusty Wonder-Gizmo along. Every time he opens it up he finds something new. It has an arrow, a claw tool with fold-out fingers, night-vision goggles, and a bug zapper. Even a coward can be brave with an awesome gadget like this. Until things go terribly wrong, and Nero has to confront his deepest fears all by himself. He will need all the courage he has, and lots more he doesn't, to save the garden, and his family, from a slithery, slimy fate.
Ages 8-11 with STEM elements of aquifers, garden plants and pests, and themes of family, friendship, and caring about the environment. Comes with creative writing ideas for the classroom and a home-tested recipe for Twig's Kohlrabi Chocolate Chip Cookies. Interior illustrations by Jolyn Michaelis.
Perfect for fans of "Bloom" (Kenneth Oppel), "Music for Tigers" (Michelle Kadarusman), "The Astounding Broccoli Boy" (Frank Cottrell Boyce) and "Beetle Boy" (M.G. Leonard).
A funny, visual, exciting adventure set in an oversized garden full of unexpected danger, and tied to a heartwarming story of personal growth and friendship lost and restored. Kids will be inspired to take a closer look at the natural world right outside their doors and to think about how they can look after the environment right where they are.
Silly and Sweet. Can't go wrong with giant bugs! ~ Jolyn Michaelis, cover artist and illustratorSharon Plumb’s latest book is timely, funny, and—dare I say it?—delicious. ~ Maureen Ulrich, author of the #jessiemachockeyseries
A fabulous and fast-paced story with a truly unique setting - a sometimes-sinister world of giant vegetables! ~ Alison Lohans, award-winning author of over 26 books for young people
Genre: Children's Fiction
Nero listened. "That's not footsteps. That's...slurping!"
When Nero and his family go to help their relatives harvest their top-secret genetically engineered house-sized vegetables, he expects to sleep in a pumpkin house. He doesn't expect to be given rutabaga pie to eat. Isn't a rutabaga a kind of turnip? Or to encounter vegetables with spikes, teeth and sword leaves, or a broccoli-headed alien that tries to buck him off its branch. He certainly doesn't expect to find a Martian vegetable with a sliding front door, or a crawly, underground weapon about to devour the garden.
It's a good thing he has his trusty Wonder-Gizmo along. Every time he opens it up he finds something new. It has an arrow, a claw tool with fold-out fingers, night-vision goggles, and a bug zapper. Even a coward can be brave with an awesome gadget like this. Until things go terribly wrong, and Nero has to confront his deepest fears all by himself. He will need all the courage he has, and lots more he doesn't, to save the garden, and his family, from a slithery, slimy fate.
Ages 8-11 with STEM elements of aquifers, garden plants and pests, and themes of family, friendship, and caring about the environment. Comes with creative writing ideas for the classroom and a home-tested recipe for Twig's Kohlrabi Chocolate Chip Cookies. Interior illustrations by Jolyn Michaelis.
Perfect for fans of "Bloom" (Kenneth Oppel), "Music for Tigers" (Michelle Kadarusman), "The Astounding Broccoli Boy" (Frank Cottrell Boyce) and "Beetle Boy" (M.G. Leonard).
A funny, visual, exciting adventure set in an oversized garden full of unexpected danger, and tied to a heartwarming story of personal growth and friendship lost and restored. Kids will be inspired to take a closer look at the natural world right outside their doors and to think about how they can look after the environment right where they are.
What People are Saying:
I laughed so hard I fell off the couch! ~ Anne Patton, author of The Barr Colony AdventuresSilly and Sweet. Can't go wrong with giant bugs! ~ Jolyn Michaelis, cover artist and illustratorSharon Plumb’s latest book is timely, funny, and—dare I say it?—delicious. ~ Maureen Ulrich, author of the #jessiemachockeyseries
A fabulous and fast-paced story with a truly unique setting - a sometimes-sinister world of giant vegetables! ~ Alison Lohans, award-winning author of over 26 books for young people
Genre: Children's Fiction
Used availability for Sharon Plumb's The Mystery of the Giant Kohlrabi