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Summary
Summary
Readers will laugh along with all the misadventures--and sneak a peek behind the Hollywood curtain--in this sweet and funny novel.
When Mitchell Mathis moves to Hollywood with his academic parents, he soon realizes he's the only ordinary kid in a school of the powerful and famous. There's Skywalker Wong, whose parents are special effects gurus. And Julia Jodie Schwartz, named after her agent father's two highest-earning clients. And Dash Silverman, whose parents write the movies that everyone else seems to have memorized. In an attempt to feel like less of an outsider, Mitch goes to an open casting call, where he ends up being cast in a soda commercial that launches a popular catchphrase. Suddenly he's on TV, signing autographs, and riding in limos. But when the ad starts getting negative attention and he doesn't have time for his old friends and interests, fame doesn't seem like so much fun anymore. He'll need all his "acting" skills--and the help of his Hollywood-savvy classmates--to figure out how to go back to being a normal kid again. Praise for the work of Maiya Williams
BookSense Pick
International Reading Association Intermediate Fiction Award
Southern California Booksellers' Association Children's Book Prize
"The fast-paced plot and smooth transition from everyday life to fantasy adventure make this a good choice for reluctant readers." --School Library Journal
"Fast-paced historical hi-jinks . . ." -- VOYA
"Vivid . . . deftly combines fantasy and historical fiction . . . It's a trip well worth the time." -- New York Times Book Review
"Action-packed and laden with good-natured humor, Williams's tale is a journey worth taking." -- Publishers Weekly
Praise for The Fizzy Whiz Kid
"Seriously committed film industry wannabes as well as erstwhile daydreamers will find a lot of good information here about how Hollywood magic gets made."-- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Williams' breezy tale is as addictive and bubbly as a Fizzy Whiz itself, and her experience in the entertainment industry packs real value into her descriptions of auditions, movie sets, and agent negotiations." -- Booklist
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Sixth-grader Mitch Mathis, whose professor father studies cockroaches, is the new kid in a town called Hollywood. Everyone he meets seems to be involved in show business, but Mitch doesn't know much about TV or movies. Still, to fit in he tries his luck in a talent search and auditions for Fizzy Whiz Soda. When he is hired to do a series of comic commercials, Mitch finds that he enjoys the filming, the crew, and the animals that appear with him. In classic Hollywood rise-and-fall fashion, the star neglects his friends, only to be jolted awake to the value of his previous life. A government study on junk food places Fizzy Whiz at the top of the list of products with heavy sugar concentrations. As the face of Fizzy Whiz, Mitch is now all over TV, but not the way he envisioned. How he gets out of the commercials and what he does next make for a satisfying conclusion. An entertaining read.-Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
This effervescent comedy offers a behind-the-scenes peek at the entertainment industry through the eyes of a likable outsider, 12-year-old Mitch Mathis. Accustomed to being the new kid, Mitch violates his own cardinal rule-"DON'T STAND OUT"-when he moves to Hollywood with his parents, attends a cattle-call audition for a soda commercial, and catapults to stardom with the signature line, "You like bubbles?" Mitch, who never watches TV, hasn't seen Star Wars, and can "juggle, ride a unicycle, play piano and guitar, and [knows] sign language," gleans industry knowledge from new, larger-than-life friends who boast actor, agent, and screenwriter parents. Mitch's recurring lists keep the pace quick and offer insight into his character ("No cockroach costumes" is at the top of his list of "Rules for Parent Presentations," after his entomologist father makes a cringe-inducing appearance in his classroom) as well as information about the industry. Williams (The Hour of the Outlaw) spotlights the unglamorous side of show business, too, as Mitch becomes believably self-involved, comes to his senses, and directs an ingenious escape to normalcy. Ages 8-12. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
Sixth grader Mitchell goes from geeky new-kid to star when he appears in a popular TV commercial. Williams's text contains lots of inside information about the business end of Hollywood. The tone, which starts out bright and funny, becomes a little pedantic as all the story's loose ends are tied up too neatly. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
Instant fame as the goofy-faced star of a series of soft-drink commercials goes to a lad's head in this insider's-eye view of the Hollywood Dream's ups and downs. Wanting only to fit in at his new California school, Mitch goes to an open casting call and against all odds lands the part. Better yet, though he's only on screen for a second he's suddenly a widely recognized celebrityuntil a news feature on childhood obesity complicates things, and he discovers that he needs the friends he's blithely been blowing off. The plot is predictable, but Williams draws on long experience in the film industry to surround Mitch with adults (notably his irascible tutor) and experienced peers to explain jobs on the set, give him quick acting lessons and guided tours of the studios, deliver savvy observations about the price of fame and provide general life coaching. Ultimately Mitch gets his priorities straight, repairs his friendships and finds a clever way to get out of his contract, so all's well that ends well in this lecture-ish but lighthearted look behind the scenes. (Fiction. 10-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Changing schools midsemester is always difficult but never more so than when that school is Los Angeles' Cecil B. DeMille Elementary. Suddenly 12-year-old midwesterner Mitchell finds himself surrounded by the offspring of movie stars, producers, and makeup artists who spend lunchtime discussing production values and shares. When it comes out that Mitchell doesn't watch TV, he is in danger of becoming an outcast and then an impulsive audition lands him a commercial for a sugary soda pop called Fizzy Whiz. Just like that, Mitchell's the next big thing, signing autographs, attending the coolest parties, and learning to work the room with schmooze-savvy classmates. Williams' breezy tale is as addictive and bubbly as a Fizzy Whiz itself, and her experience in the entertainment industry packs real value into her descriptions of auditions, movie sets, and agent negotiations. Of course, the double-edged reality of kid stardom is well known, and Mitchell's realization that he is a product being assembled is both goofy and poignant.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist