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Table of Contents
About The Book
We're close to 3.14 million SPHDZ, but there is still a lot to be done. Michael K., Venus, TJ, and the SPHDZ are working hard to keep kids signing up to be Spaceheadz. But Agent Umber of the AAA (Anti Alien Agency) is relentless and the unseen leader of Spaceheadz turns out not to be who anyone expected!
Full of twists and turns, the third book in the out of this world series continues. And a bigger mystery is about to be revealed!
Full of twists and turns, the third book in the out of this world series continues. And a bigger mystery is about to be revealed!
Excerpt
SPHDZ Book #3!
Two small elves stood in line behind the red ropes outside Dunker’s Donuts on Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn.
This was not as completely crazy as it might sound, because there was also a sign in the Dunker’s Donuts window that read:
The two elves stood in line with the rest of the moms and dads and babies and kids waiting to tell Santa what they really wanted. The two elves wore those green elf outfits you’ve seen in cartoons and movies and cookie commercials.
But the strange thing about these two elves was that one of them wore soccer cleats and the other one wore a SpongeBob SquarePants backpack . . . that was carrying another tiny, hamster-size elf.
“What are you going to ask Santa to bring you, Chelsea?” the mom in front of the elves asked her daughter.
“A pony,” said Chelsea, kicking her little brother.
“Oooooh,” said the SpongeBob-backpack elf. “More flavor! I’m going to add a pony to our list.”
“We are already asking Santa for one hundred more SPHDZ,” said soccer-cleats elf. “Can he also fit two ponies in his flying-sled delivery system?”
“Eeek squeak squeak eeek,” said hamster elf. “Squeee week wee eek.”
“Great whole-grain jingle bells!” said soccer-cleats elf. “This Santa Claus is super-size and great taste!”
“Eee eee eee eeek?” asked hamster elf.
“Yes,” said backpack elf. “That is a most extra-crunchy idea. I will send a visual image of us to Michael K. and Venus.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” said the suspiciously skinny-looking Santa in the Holidayz HoHoHoles Korner of the Dunker’s Donuts. “I don’t think Santa will be able to get you a real F-18 Hornet fighter jet.”
The little boy in Santa’s lap punched Santa in his red velvet stomach and pulled Santa’s white beard down under his chin. “You are a stupid Santa.”
The backpack elf held a camera out at arm’s length.
“Squeeek,” said the hamster elf.
The elves twisted their faces into something like smiles.
The hamster elf nodded.
The camera took a picture.
“Come on, Jackson,” said the little boy’s mom. “We will go talk to Santa’s manager about this.”
The dad took Jackson’s hand and glared at Santa. “I can’t believe I had to buy a dozen Holidayz HoHoHoles for this. All you had to do was say ‘Okay.’ ”
“I could look into procurement of the F-18,” said Santa, replacing his beard and fixing his stomach. “But I am pretty sure it is not in line with federal procedure to release these fighter jets to citizens.”
The dad stared at Santa.
“There would also be a lot of paperwork. But maybe the older model F-111 might be available?”
Now both the mom and the dad were staring at Santa.
Santa realized he had almost forgotten to say the required Dunker’s Holiday Saying. He added, “Ho, ho, ho. Dunker’s knows what dunkers love.”
The mom and dad and punching kid stormed over to talk to the manager.
The line and the elves moved three steps closer to Santa.
Hamster elf sent off the picture and text.
“Eeee eee, eee eee.”
“CLINICALLY PROVEN SAFE AND EFFECTIVE,” added backpack elf. “Michael K. and Venus are going to be sooooo surprised!”
Two small elves stood in line behind the red ropes outside Dunker’s Donuts on Fifth Avenue in Brooklyn.
This was not as completely crazy as it might sound, because there was also a sign in the Dunker’s Donuts window that read:
The two elves stood in line with the rest of the moms and dads and babies and kids waiting to tell Santa what they really wanted. The two elves wore those green elf outfits you’ve seen in cartoons and movies and cookie commercials.
But the strange thing about these two elves was that one of them wore soccer cleats and the other one wore a SpongeBob SquarePants backpack . . . that was carrying another tiny, hamster-size elf.
“What are you going to ask Santa to bring you, Chelsea?” the mom in front of the elves asked her daughter.
“A pony,” said Chelsea, kicking her little brother.
“Oooooh,” said the SpongeBob-backpack elf. “More flavor! I’m going to add a pony to our list.”
“We are already asking Santa for one hundred more SPHDZ,” said soccer-cleats elf. “Can he also fit two ponies in his flying-sled delivery system?”
“Eeek squeak squeak eeek,” said hamster elf. “Squeee week wee eek.”
“Great whole-grain jingle bells!” said soccer-cleats elf. “This Santa Claus is super-size and great taste!”
“Eee eee eee eeek?” asked hamster elf.
“Yes,” said backpack elf. “That is a most extra-crunchy idea. I will send a visual image of us to Michael K. and Venus.”
“Ho, ho, ho,” said the suspiciously skinny-looking Santa in the Holidayz HoHoHoles Korner of the Dunker’s Donuts. “I don’t think Santa will be able to get you a real F-18 Hornet fighter jet.”
The little boy in Santa’s lap punched Santa in his red velvet stomach and pulled Santa’s white beard down under his chin. “You are a stupid Santa.”
The backpack elf held a camera out at arm’s length.
“Squeeek,” said the hamster elf.
The elves twisted their faces into something like smiles.
The hamster elf nodded.
The camera took a picture.
“Come on, Jackson,” said the little boy’s mom. “We will go talk to Santa’s manager about this.”
The dad took Jackson’s hand and glared at Santa. “I can’t believe I had to buy a dozen Holidayz HoHoHoles for this. All you had to do was say ‘Okay.’ ”
“I could look into procurement of the F-18,” said Santa, replacing his beard and fixing his stomach. “But I am pretty sure it is not in line with federal procedure to release these fighter jets to citizens.”
The dad stared at Santa.
“There would also be a lot of paperwork. But maybe the older model F-111 might be available?”
Now both the mom and the dad were staring at Santa.
Santa realized he had almost forgotten to say the required Dunker’s Holiday Saying. He added, “Ho, ho, ho. Dunker’s knows what dunkers love.”
The mom and dad and punching kid stormed over to talk to the manager.
The line and the elves moved three steps closer to Santa.
Hamster elf sent off the picture and text.
“Eeee eee, eee eee.”
“CLINICALLY PROVEN SAFE AND EFFECTIVE,” added backpack elf. “Michael K. and Venus are going to be sooooo surprised!”
About The Author
Photo Credit:
Jon Scieszka is the creator of Trucktown, including the New York Times bestselling Smash, Crash!, and the author of The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!, the Time Warp Trio series, Caldecott Honor Book The Stinky Cheese Man, and many other books that inspire kids to want to read. He has worked as an elementary school teacher and is the founder of GuysRead.com, a literacy initiative for boys.
About The Illustrator
Shane Prigmore is an accomplished professional in the animation, film, and illustration fields. Shane won an Annie Award for his design work on the stop motion feature Coraline. He has also contributed his numerous talents to such projects as: How to Train Your Dragon, The Croods, Rise of the Guardians, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and The Iron Giant...to name a few. Shane resides in Los Angeles.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (September 20, 2011)
- Length: 224 pages
- ISBN13: 9781416979555
- Grades: 2 - 5
- Ages: 7 - 10
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Raves and Reviews
"Scieszka and Prigmore deliver the most madcap installment yet in their uber-illustrated series. Surprise villains (foreshadowed in previous volumes)! Surprise interstellar-parking-lot plans! Surprise doughnut upchuck! Nonfiction interludes on networks, group intelligence and symbiosis—not to mention the goofy websites—add to the fun.... Fans will be in heaven, especially at the certainty of further installments."—Kirkus Reviews
"With plenty of twists, lots of well-timed comic noises, and even a hilarious section narrated by
Major Fluffy, this is sure to delight fans, while recruiting new ones. Another laugh factory between covers."—Booklist
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): SPHDZ Book #3! Hardcover 9781416979555(2.3 MB)
- Author Photo (jpg): Jon Scieszka Photo Credit:(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
