Rex Zero and the End of the World

by Tim Wynne-Jones

Overview

"Who wouldn't want to spend time with the . . . eccentric Norton-Nortons?"—M. T. Anderson

Why does everyone seem so scared? That's what the new boy in town, Rex Norton-Norton, aka Rex Zero, wonders as he rides his bike through Ottawa's streets. Is it spies? Kidnappers? Or is it because of the shadowy creature some say is stalking Adams Park? One thing is certain in this summer of 1962 as the Cold War heats up: nothing is quite what it seems. What's a boy to do? If his name is Rex Zero and he has a bike he calls "Diablo," five wild and funny siblings, an alpha dog named Kincho, a basement bomb shelter built of old Punch magazines, and a mind that turns everything inside out, he's bound to come up with an amazing idea.

With its mystery, adventure, laugh-out-loud scenes of family chaos, and underlying message of hope, this wonderfully original novel from Tim Wynne-Jones explores the impact of doomsday on the imagination of one smart and funny twelve-year-old boy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312644604
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	03/05/2013
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

TIM WYNNE-JONES is one of Canada's premier children's authors. His highly praised books include, The Boy in the Burning House, winner of the Edgar Award, and A Thief in the House of Memory, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Kirkus Reviews Editor's Choice. His next book, Rex Zero and the Great Pretender, will be available from FSG in Fall 2010. He lives near Perth, Ontario.

Read an Excerpt

Rex Zero and the End of the World

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By Wynne-Jones, Tim

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Copyright © 2007 Wynne-Jones, Tim
All right reserved.
ISBN: 0374334676

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From Rex Zero and the End of the World
Kincho stops at the top of the steps that lead down into Adams Park. He sits, which is kind of amazing. I didn't know he knew how. It gives us both a chance to catch our breath.
 
I look at the park stretching out before me. The moon is low in the sky, so all the shadows seem to be pointing right at me. I've never been out this late alone, and it's kind of exciting. The park is long and sinewy, like a snake. The paths look white under the moon. It's so quiet. Dead quiet, dark and empty. It smells of nothing but cool greenness. I sit down on the top step beside the dog, with my arm around his neck. If Adams Park were a stadium like Lansdowne Park, these would be the dollar bleachers.
 
Then I hear something – I'm not sure what – but Kincho hears it, too, and both our heads swivel toward the wall of trees flanking the north side of the park. I don't see anything moving – anything except the trees. If Kincho sees anything, he isn't saying, but he's on red alert, I can tell. The breeze picks up and the trees seem to turn their heads to look up the field, like fans watching a car spin out of control on the northeast turn. We follow their gaze, Kincho and me. He growls low in histhroat.
 
"What is it, boy?"

Continues...

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Excerpted from Rex Zero and the End of the World by Wynne-Jones, Tim Copyright © 2007 by Wynne-Jones, Tim. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

Who wouldn't want to spend time with the wonderfully observed, engagingly eccentric Norton-Nortons? As always, Wynne-Jones' eye for odd and telling detail creates a fantastically charming cast of characters that demand attention as they claim to be mutant zombie hunters, photographers of the impossible, prophets of doom, and, in the case of Rex Zero, himself, just a kid trying to get along in a Cold War world gone mad.” —M.T. Anderson

“Brilliant in its near stream-of-consciousness depiction of the world as Rex sees it . . . The meticulous plotting sets the enormity of world destruction against the equally cataclysmic concerns of childhood. It's a historic narrative that resonates eerily and effectively today.” —The Horn Book, Starred Review

“Wynne-Jones writes with a light, often humorous touch and maintains a perspective true to an 11-year-old's perspective. This winning hero paints a universe both hopeful and realistic, one that readers may well want to visit.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Delightfully nerve-wracking, eccentric and optimistic.” —Kirkus Reviews

“The sense of looming doomsday will hold readers, as will the timeless drama of moving and trying to fit in.” —Booklist

“A fast-moving, quirky romp through apocalyptic anxiety.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“Eccentric and charming.” —VOYA

“An unusual and appealing title.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Wynne-Jones (A Thief in the House of Memory) draws on his own childhood to describe events leading up to the Cold War. In the summer of 1962, narrator Rex Harrison and his family move to Ottawa from Vancouver. The tension between the U.S. and Russia permeates everything this summer. A homeless man announces the end of the world on a placard, while others build bomb shelters. It seems only Rex's parents aren't taking the threats seriously. One evening, while walking his dog in the park, Rex's dog pulls him toward something hiding in the bushes. A brief glance is enough to convince him that it's dangerous ("It tilts back its head and roars"). His older sister thinks it's a mutant: the fallout from the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. However, Rex's new friends believe it's a panther that escaped from a zoo a few years ago. Throughout the summer, the kids work on a plan to capture the beast. The author subtly draws a parallel between the intangible Cold War fear and fear of the elusive creature. Despite the weighty themes, Wynne-Jones writes with a light, often humorous touch and maintains a perspective true to an 11-year-old's perspective. As Rex muses on the idea of the world ending, he understands that "one world seems to come crashing to a halt and you invent another." This winning hero paints a universe both hopeful and realistic, one that readers may well want to visit. Ages 8-12. (Mar.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 5-8 - It is 1962, and Rex Norton-Norton (aka Rex Zero) has been transplanted again, this time to Ottawa, along with his quirky family. With five siblings in his family, including boy-crazy Cassiopeia and Annie Oakley (who is convinced that the local nuns are Communist spies), there's plenty of activity, but no real friends for Rex and his trusty bicycle, Diablo. Lonely, he joins Kathy and her gang of kids who are convinced that an escaped panther, Tronido, is loose. Looming over the panther hunting is the backdrop of the Cold War, producing bomb shelters, rumors, and, for Rex, a few mysteries to solve. Fiction set in Canada during this period is relatively rare, making this an unusual and appealing title. Unfortunately, this book lacks an explanation of what is taking place, and its target audience won't be familiar with the historical underpinnings. Also, some of the references to TV shows and other 1960s culture will be equally baffling for kids. That said, the memorable characters and the animal mystery will keep the pages turning. Despite some confusion, readers will find something here to enjoy.-Caitlin Augusta, The Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

School Library Journal