Book Reviews and More: Invasion of the IQ Snatchers - Arthur Slade

Tuesday 6 August 2024

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers - Arthur Slade - Canadian Chills Book 3 Reprint Edition

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers

Canadian Chills Book 3 Reprint Edition

Arthur Slade

Shadowpaw Press

ISBN 9781998273041

eISBN 9781998273058

ASIN B0CZJKGGF9

Invasion of the IQ Snatchers - Arthur Slade - Canadian Chills Book 3 Reprint Edition

This book and series are back in print in a new Shadowpaw Press Reprise edition. I am thankful this book and series are back in print. Gordon and Sophia need to save their town, Nanaimo British Columba, for an alien takeover, with the help of a Sasquatch named Cheryl, and a Librarian and a brilliant talking parrot. But can they do it?

This book is a ghost story that is both intense and humorous. But this one is heavier on the humour and lighter on the intense than the other two in the series. The description of the reprint edition is:

“Can Gordon Whillickers and his friend Sophia stop a sinister plot to steal the brain power of the people of Nanaimo?

Someone is delivering plates of scrumptious Nanaimo bars to every household in Nanaimo, and the people who eat them are behaving very strangely. Gordon Whillickers doesn’t get to eat his because, at the last minute, a hairy arm reaches through his window and steals them. He and Sophia chase after the thief and meet an amazing Sasquatch named Cheryl, who is also puzzled by the sudden appearance of the mouth-watering delicacies.

With the help of Cheryl and the technological wizardry of a local librarian, the two kids move ever closer to the alien creature at the centre of the plot. They must stop him before the Nanaimoites’ IQs are lost forever!”

When I tracked down a previous edition of these books we donated it to our kid’s school library. Now that it is back in print, my son and I am rereading them again together. It was fantastic to reread this book and series14 years apart. I enjoyed it even more this second time through.

Arthur Slade is one of my favorite contemporary Canadian authors. His biography states that he is a best-known and respected children's author. His books may have been written and published for a younger audience but they are written so well they can be enjoyed by readers of any age. This third book in the Canadian Chills series is a shining example of such a book.

Nanaimo is under attack, and it is up to Gordon Whillickers and Sophia Morrison and Gordon's extremely intelligent parrot Archie, to do something about it. It all begins when Gordon has a plate of Nanaimo bars stolen from his desk by a very hairy assailant. Soon Gordon and Sophie realize the whole town is being turned into mindless zombies watching TV from the 70s and eating tasty bars.

With a mix of robot ants, robot bees, aliens and even a Big Foot this story has something for everyone. Slade does an amazing job of writing a funny, frightening and fantastic book. Kids will love it and parents will enjoy reading along (or maybe even just reading it themselves).

It is a great read and wonderful middle grade series, one I can easily recommend it!