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In the Garbage: Andrew Lost #13    by J. C. Greenburg & Jan Gerardi Amazon.com order for
In the Garbage
by J. C. Greenburg
Order:  USA  Can
Random House, 2006 (2006)
Hardcover, Paperback
* * *   Reviewed by J. A. Kaszuba Locke

Ten-year old Andrew Dubble has been an inventor since he was four. This time, he's made a giant fake snake named The Goa Constrictor ('Garbage Goes Away'), designed to solve the world's garbage problem. Operated by Andrew's remote control, Goa will squash 'rotten vegetables, green meat, and dirty paper dishes to microscopic size'. But, as always, something goes wrong and the Goa begins to consume everything in sight!

Andrew was preparing Goa - 'as thick as a wastebasket and as long as a ladder' - to enter in the Young Inventors Contest. Thudd (Andrew's pocket-size robot and best friend) admires the invention, as cousin Judy Dubble walks into the room with her fav expression, 'Cheese Louise', as she views the Goa. Schoolmate Jeremy Bogart, a.k.a. Germy Booger, arrives with garbage bags, donated by the cafeteria staff. What a smell!

Jeremy's own invention, the Excuse-O-Matic, is shaped like a small Ping-Pong ball and verbalizes all kinds of excuses, such as, 'My little brother ate my homework'. Oops, it falls to the floor and Goa does you know what with it! Andrew and Judy get sucked in too, and shrunk to sand-size, as they float through green peas, lettuce leafs, and pizza crust. It's good that Andrew has Thudd in his pocket and can make a distress call to super-smart scientist Uncle Al. Let's hope Al can rescue Judy and Andrew before they become worm fodder.

Again, author Judith Greenburg and illustrator Jan Gerardi apply their special touches to give young readers an exciting adventure in the life of Andrew Dubble and his sidekicks, as they travel via a garbage truck to the Dump! Added to the mix are fascinating facts about worms and seagulls.

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