The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat

by Paul Tobin, Thierry Lafontaine (Illustrator)

Overview

Every Friday the 13th, 6th grade genius and inventor extraordinaire Nate Bannister does three not-so-smart things to keep life interesting. This time, he taught a caterpillar math, mailed a love letter, and super-sized his cat Proton before turning him invisible.

As Nate and his new (well, only) friend Delphine race to stop Proton from crushing everyone and everything in town, they come face-to-face with Sir Jakob Maculte (the twenty-seventh lord of Mayberry Castle and leader of the nefarious Red Death Tea Society). Known for its criminal activity, killer tactics, and impressive tea brewing skills, the Red Death Tea Society will do anything to get in their way.

Nate and Delphine must pull out every mind-blowing gadget, half-perfected invention, and unproven but theoretically sound strategy they've got up their sleeves in order to survive to see Saturday the 14th!

Eisner winner Paul Tobin's extraordinarily madcap middle grade debut features black and white illustrations from film talent Thierry Lafontaine and is the first of five novels in the series.

Awards for Bandette

Winner, Eisner Award for Best Digital Comic

Winner, IndieFab Award - Bronze, Graphic Novels & Comics

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681192789
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	03/07/2017
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Paul Tobin is the author of the first book in The Genius Factor series, How to Capture an Invisible Cat. He is also the author of a multitude of comics for such publishers as Marvel, Dark Horse, and DC Comics. Paul is one of the two head writers for the Angry Birds comics and has also written for the Plants vs. Zombies comics. His other current projects include the Adventure Time: Flip Side series, combining the worlds of Prometheus/Aliens/Predator in conjunction with Dark Horse Comics/Ridley Scott, and continuing work on his award-winning horror series Colder. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his wife, artist Colleen Coover, with whom he created the Eisner-award-winning Bandette.

www.paultobin.net

@PaulTobin

Thierry Lafontaine is a character designer and illustrator for film and publishing. He is also the instructor for the Imaginism Studios In-House Workshop atelier program. Thierry lives, works, and teaches in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

Middle grade readers, future inventors, and adventure-seekers will enjoy Nate and Delphine's encounters in this The Genius Factor title. Recommended.” —School Library Connection

“This odd couple prove that teamwork works, and news of a sequel will likely be met with applause.” —Booklist

“Aimed equally at boys and girls . . . This winning, consistently funny, smartly silly adventure could be one of Nate's kooky gadgets, a middle-grade reading attractor.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Tobin uses humor and great imagination to offer younger middle grade readers a delightful romp that will appeal to fans of madcap adventure . . . . Ideal for book clubs. The easy flow of dialogue and vocabulary will help build fluency and keep readers' attention.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

12/01/2015
Gr 3–6—In this quick and fun series starter, Tobin uses humor and great imagination to offer younger middle grade readers a delightful romp that will appeal to fans of madcap adventure. Genius inventor Nate and his best friend, Delphine, find themselves in a bit of a pickle on Friday the 13th, when Nate turns his pet cat invisible—and gigantic. Events escalate with the additions of a talking Scottie dog and an evil "Red Death Tea Society." Nate is a lovable underdog and nerd, while Delphine faces issues with friendship and social interactions—themes that will resonate with kids. VERDICT Ideal for book clubs. The easy flow of dialogue and vocabulary will help build fluency and keep readers' attention.—Tracey Wong, P.S. 54/Fordham Bedford Academy, Bronx, NY

School Library Journal

2015-12-08
Sixth-graders Delphine and Nate, aided by Nate's talking dog, Bosper, evade the Red Death Tea Society, an evil organization that excels at both death and brewing, while trying to capture Proton, the family cat, which Nate made both gigantic and invisible. Delphine Cooper, the likable Everygirl who narrates Tobin's absurdly funny, gadget-filled adventure, is pretty, with ordinary brains and a million friends. Nate Bannister, her comic foil, is an eccentric loner who also happens to be an off-the-charts genius. And Bosper—well, except for his tendency to fart, he's the best dog ever. The premise of the series is that every Friday the 13th, Nate does three dumb things that Delphine helps him to rectify. Although this series opener goes on too long, the comic circumstances Tobin creates are imaginative and funny: the supersized catnip incense burner Nate sets up to attract Proton also attracts every other cat in the neighborhood, creating further complications for Delphine, who is dressed as a very large mouse at the time. Both of the heroes in this series, which is aimed equally at boys and girls, are neatly characterized, and it's clear why they become friends. Both are white in Lafontaine's illustrations. This winning, consistently funny, smartly silly adventure could be one of Nate's kooky gadgets, a middle-grade reading attractor. (Adventure. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews