Fries Alive!: Freddy and the French Fries #1    by David Baldacci & Rudy Baldacci Order:  USA  Can Little, Brown & Co., 2005 (2005) Hardcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson Fries Alive! begins a new Freddy and the French Fries series, written by bestselling author David Baldacci. In it, nine-year-old, nerdy Freddy T. (Tesla) Funkhouser's plan to save the Burger Castle family business goes hilariously awry. The story opens on Freddy, who dreams of becoming a famous scientist, cluck-clucking in a chicken suit at the Burger Castle door (his dad rollerskates around the restaurant in a tomato costume). Freddy's drama queen big sister Nancy (her lines alternate between Shakespeare and E.T.) is dressed as a ketchup bottle. But where are the customers? Sadly, they're across the road with the competition, the Spanker family's Patty Cakes restaurant/amusement park. Their greasy burgers are not nearly as healthy as the Funkhousers' tofu ones, or their carrot and eggplant hot dogs. Also, 'Adam Spanker had been Freddy's worst nightmare for years', and Adam's dad is the town chief of police and mayor. What's a boy to do? Freddy, plans a very special float for the Founders' Day parade. With a little help from his friend Howie Kapowie, Freddy uses potato-nanotechnology, microchips and hydroelectric power to make five sort of Frankenfries - Theodore, Wally, Ziggy, Curly, and split Si/Meese - each with a distinct personality. Of course, the Fries find all kinds of trouble to get into, but all's well that ends well when Freddy's brains (and Fries) outwit the Spanker bullies. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews