Bibliography: Soup, Cuthbert.  (2010). Another Whole Nother Story. New York: Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books.  ISBN: 978-1599904368

Plot Summary: At the end of A Whole Nother Story, Ethan Cheeseman and his three children escaped the various n’er do wells by hopping in their time machine and heading to the past to end the family curse and stop the murder of their beloved wife and mother.  Easier said than done–the  machine lands them in the middle of the 17th century, where they are being chased by witch hunters and pirates and a team from the future while trying to get a cursed goblet back to its rightful owner.  Even if they complete their quest, there is a chance the time machine is beyond repair.

Critical Analysis:  I found the second book in this series to be a little harder to get into then the first.  Perhaps some of the charm and wackiness of the characters and humour is wearing thin, or perhaps it has become harder for “Dr. Soup” to maintain the same level of hilarity and hijinks across a second book.  I’m sure it will matter little to the book’s target audience, kids in upper elementary, and Iwill say I was glad for the new sock puppet and was laughing out loud when the Cheesemans were trying to escape the villagers and the witch hunter.

That being said, I still really enjoyed the return Cheesemans, as normal and loving a family as can be, even with their time traveling and quests to break a curse and stop a murder.  Even among all the madcap adventures that Soup manages to show us more about their characters and even makes room for a little growth.

Review Excerpts: “The incessantly comic commentary is a bit hit-or-miss but over the course of these nonstop rollicking adventures, there are hits, and hilarity, aplenty.”–Children’s Literature

“This is a quirky, madcap tale….With such a variety of insane characters…there are many laugh-out-loud moments. Although this title stands fairly well on its own, it is especially recommended for libraries where the first book is popular.”–School Library Journal

Reviewed from publisher provided advanced copy.  Amazon Affiliate: If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.