Another Whole Nother Story

By Cuthbert Soup

Perfect for fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society and Mr. Lemoncello's Library comes a rollicking, high stakes adventure!

The plan was simple. Ethan Cheeseman, along with his three smart, polite, and relatively odor-free children, would travel back in time to end an ancient family curse and save their mother. Now that the LVR (a super-secret time machine) is in working order, it should be easy peasy. Except they didn't account for one basic rule of science: Murphy's Law, where everything that possibly could go wrong, does. So the Cheeseman family finds themselves on another madcap adventure, this time through stormy seas and haunted castles. And though their narrator, Dr. Soup, has a ton of unsolicited advice to offer young readers, he doesn't have much to say to help the Cheesemans. Just this one thing: Good luck!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Dec 7, 2010
• ISBN: 9781599905990

Cuthbert Soup

Due to a remarkable physical resemblance, Dr. Cuthbert Soup is often mistaken for writer Gerry Swallow, who began his career as a stand-up comic, making numerous appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Dr. Soup's doppelganger then turned his attention to writing movies, including the blockbuster hit, Ice Age: The Meltdown. Other than the aforementioned uncanny likeness, Dr. Soup has absolutely nothing in common with Mr. Swallow, who lives with his wife and children in a very tiny mansion, whereas Dr. Soup lives in a huge mansion with his dog, Kevin, his pet snails, Gooey and Squishy, and his parents, Filbert and Roberta Soup. www.awholenotherbook.com Author location: Victoria, B.C., Canada

Book preview

ill-advised

A Little Advice

Well, for one thing I have always enjoyed telling stories. Living in Vienna at the height of the Great Sausage Famine, my family had very little money for books. But every Friday night we would all sit around the fire and tell stories, which was very exciting because we did not have a fireplace. So, as you might imagine, most of the stories were about how to escape from a burning building.

But my real inspiration for writing a book came to me not long ago while strolling through my friendly neighborhood bookstore, where I spied, high upon one of the many shelves, a very conspicuous empty slot. Needless to say, I was appalled. It occurred to me rather immediately that someone needed to write something in order to fill that awful black hole of booklessness right between War and Peace and Wig Making for Dummies.

I now had the motivation to write a book but still lacked a good story to tell. That would change sooner than I expected. I returned home to my luxurious mansion and opened my equally luxurious mailbox (it has its own bowling alley) to find a postcard from my good friend and former classmate from Southwestern North Dakota State University, Ethan Cheeseman.

The news, as it turns out, was not good. I was shocked to learn that Ethan’s lovely wife, Olivia, had been poisoned by evil villains (for my money, the worst kind of villains), forcing Ethan and his three smart, witty, attractive, polite, and relatively odor-free children to go on the run. In case something happened to Ethan or the children, he wanted to make sure that his story was told—and he had chosen me to be the one to tell it.

I started receiving postcards on a regular basis, sometimes as many as four or five per week, each one relaying Ethan’s desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of an ever-growing number of pursuers while he worked to perfect his greatest invention: a time machine, which he hoped could be used to save the life of the woman he and his children loved so dearly.

I began the task of turning these postcards into the story of Ethan’s desperate plight, though my progress was slow. You see, unlike most writers today, I do not use a computer. I write the old-fashioned way: on the walls of caves. (Unlike computers, they rarely crash.) With a blend of seven different berries smooshed together, the end result is perhaps the only book you will ever read that is made with ten percent real fruit juice. But please don’t eat it. Instead, I strongly advise you to read it because, in addition to being rich in vitamins A and C, it is also chock-full of excitement, intrigue, adventure, misadventure, pirates, castles, consonants, vowels (including the controversial sometimes Y vowel), and scads of unsolicited advice.

And, if all that weren’t enough, it also includes documentation of mankind’s first attempt to travel through time, as Ethan and his children embark upon this historic journey in an effort to save the life of Olivia, their beloved wife and mother, and to break the curse of the White Gold Chalice.

Chapter 1

Everyone knows that time flies when you’re having fun. What many don’t realize is that time also flies when you’re having: breakfast, lunch, a bad hair day, people over for dinner, difficulty with math, your cake and eating it too, second thoughts, a nervous breakdown, trouble breathing, a baby, or a cow.

In other words, no matter what you may be having at any given moment, time is always flying. Thus, in order to travel into the past, one must fly even faster than time itself. This can make for a very bumpy and a very long ride.

Dad, are we there yet? groaned Gerard, his skinny, eight-year-old legs fidgeting in perfect rhythm with his reckless gum chewing. The gum was Gerard’s last piece and, since he and his family were racing along the Time Arc to a year long before bubble gum had been invented, he knew the flavorless wad of pink goo might have to last him quite a long time.

I told you to go to the bathroom before we left the twenty-first century, said Gerard’s father, who was perhaps the greatest scientist and inventor of all time. Mr. Cheeseman kept his eyes on the control panel, expertly working the many knobs and dials, fighting to keep the time machine, known simply as the LVR, on course for the year 1668. I should mention, by the way, that LVR stands for Luminal Velocity Regulator. I suppose it could also stand for Large Venezuelan Rats, but in this case it does not.

Sorry, Gerard, you’ll have to wait a few minutes yet, Mr. Cheeseman continued.

In the rush to stay one step ahead of the many government agents, international superspies, and corporate villains all trying to get their hands on the LVR, he did not have time to hook up the plumbing system on his mirrored, egg-shaped, disco ball–like time machine before he and his three children—along with Captain Jibby and his band of misfit circus performers—piled in, buckled up, and slipped into the past.

But I really have to go, Gerard insisted.

We should be there soon, assured Mr. Cheeseman. Unless we run into some unexpected disturbulence.

Disturbulence is the term used to describe any small fissures or static along the Time Arc that can result in a time traveler being bounced off course and ending up in the wrong time, the wrong place, or, in the most unfortunate of cases, several times and places at once, a phenomenon known in the scientific community as Some Times, which is not at all where Mr. Cheeseman and his passengers wanted to end up.

He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead, then turned to Jough, his fourteen-year-old son and copilot, sitting at the controls next to him. It’s awfully hot in here. What’s the reading on that refractometer, Jough?

Forty-two hundred and climbing, said Jough, his voice alternating between man and boy.

Are you sure?

I’m sure. Why?

The refractor shields … they’re only good to forty-five hundred. Mr. Cheeseman looked worried, and this worried Jough. It didn’t help matters that Pinky, the family’s hairless fox terrier, was sitting at Mr. Cheeseman’s feet, growling steadily. You see, Pinky had psychic abilities and almost never growled unless she sensed danger.

So what happens if it hits forty-five hundred? Jough asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer. After all, there was a reason the LVR had no windows. The light along the Time Arc was so intense and produced such extreme heat that, if the refractor shields failed to hold, the LVR and everyone in it would be instantly reduced to cinders.

It’ll be okay, said Mr. Cheeseman, not entirely convinced of this but not wanting to alarm the children.

Forty-three hundred, announced Jough from the side of his mouth, his eyes refusing to leave the refractometer as the needle continued to inch into the red zone. Pinky’s growling grew louder.

Dad? said Maggie, Mr. Cheeseman’s twelve-year-old daughter and the spitting image of his auburn-haired wife, Olivia. What’s going on? Why is Pinky growling?

It’s nothing. Everything’s fine. Mr. Cheeseman threw the words quickly over his shoulder, then returned his focus to the control panel. We’ll be there soon. Why don’t you make the announcement?

A veritable genius, Maggie was smart enough to realize that her father was only attempting to take her mind off the danger growing with every upward tick of that temperature gauge. Still, she did as he wished. Without hesitation, she unbuckled her seat belt, stood up, and turned to face her audience. In addition to her little brother, there were the six members of Captain Jibby’s Traveling Circus Sideshow, all sitting in the cramped confines of the LVR’s interior, constructed mainly of parts from a used motor home.

Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please, began Maggie. We are approaching the year 1668. At this time, make sure your seat belts are securely fastened and your seat backs have been returned to their full upright and locked position. In the unlikely event of a water landing, your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device.

My seat doesn’t have a cushion, said Gerard. He demonstrated by slapping the hard wooden surface of the chair with his open palm.

Then you’ll have to swim. And please put your seat back forward.

But I don’t get it, said Gerard. Do you want me to put my seat back or forward?

Maggie stepped behind Gerard’s chair and shoved it forward, putting an immediate end to any confusion.

Forty-four fifty, said Jough. Sweat now poured from beneath the thick black curls that adorned his head and gathered among the wiry fibers of his patchy teenage mustache.

There was no question that the interior of the LVR was heating up. Jough removed his navy blue baseball cap, stitched with a white letter P, and ran his forearm across his sweaty brow.

Suddenly, a very large and very loud bump rocked the LVR. Maggie quickly returned to her seat and buckled up. Forty-four seventy-five, said Jough.

Come on, said Mr. Cheeseman, begging the machine to hold together. Come on!

Gerard looked up at his big sister sitting next to him. Is it okay? Are we going to die? Maggie said nothing, unwilling to make a promise she might not be able to keep. Instead, she reached out and took Gerard’s hand in hers and squeezed tightly. If this was meant to reassure Gerard, it did not.

At that moment, he realized just how much he missed Steve, his beloved sock puppet, knitted with love by his late mother just days before she was killed by corporate thugs. For two years Steve had been Gerard’s constant sidekick, providing him with companionship, words of encouragement, and a wicked tan line. But now, like Gerard’s beloved mother, Steve the sock puppet was gone.

Twenty seconds to landing, said Mr. Cheeseman.

Four-four eighty-five, said Jough, biting his lip.

It’s going to be close, said Mr. Cheeseman.

There was another bump, this one louder and stronger than the last. Maggie looked at the ceiling, which vibrated mightily. It appeared as though it could be torn away at any second, exposing them all to the deadly light just on the other side of the four-inch-thick protective shell of the LVR.

Forty-four ninety! Jough struggled to remain calm but he could feel his sense of reason slipping away.

Fifteen seconds! Mr. Cheeseman had to shout to be heard over the deafening rattle as the LVR fought to remain joined at the seams. He began counting down the seconds. And as he counted down, Jough counted up.

Ten! Nine! Eight!

Forty-four ninety-five!

Seven! Six!

Forty-four ninety-seven!

Five! Four!

Forty-four ninety-nine!

Three! Two!

Forty-five hund—

Before Jough could push the words from his mouth, a chunk of ceiling the size of a beach towel peeled away with the sickening sound of rent metal. Blinding light poured into the LVR. Gerard screamed. Maggie screamed. Pinky yowled. The chunk peeled back farther yet until it tore off completely from the rest of the LVR, and more light poured in, followed by more screams and a deafening crash.

And then, just like that, there was nothing.

Advice for ExpLorers Everywhere

When one thinks of great explorers, certain names come to mind right away: Cortés, Ponce de León (literally: Leon’s Pants), and Magellan, to list but a few. Perhaps the most famous explorer of all time is Christopher Columbus, who discovered America. And he found it right where it had been sitting all those years.

Of course some people claim that Leif Eriksson discovered North America in the year 1000. Well, if he did, he forgot to tell anyone, which is why today all the cities, rivers, universities, and savings and loans are named after Columbus. Nothing is named after Leif Eriksson—not even leaves, which are named after someone else.

Advice to explorers everywhere: if you would like to receive due credit for your discoveries, keep a detailed account of your journeys as Columbus did. On September 28, 1492, after four weeks at sea, he writes: Dear diary … I mean journal. Yes, dear journal. That’s what I meant to say. Whew. Anyway, we have yet to discover America, and the crew has become increasingly rebellious. I have decided to turn back if we have not spotted it by Columbus Day. Will write again later if not killed by crew. P.S. Last night’s buffet was fabulous, the ice sculptures magnificent.

Columbus’s crew was understandably spooked because in those days it was believed that the Earth was flat, and if you sailed too far, you could fall off the edge. Today we know that the Earth is not flat but rather quite bumpy, particularly if you are driving in the downtown area. The point is that whether you are sailing through uncharted waters or across the mysterious Time Arc, there will always be unforeseen dangers and I advise you to prepare yourself for the absolute worst.

Chapter 2

Many who have had near-death experiences have reported leaving their bodies and drifting toward a warm, bright light. These people assume they are on their way to heaven, never stopping to consider that a warm, bright light might also be fire.

The warm, bright light that Maggie saw when she opened her eyes was neither the welcoming gleam of paradise nor the flaming bonfire of the netherworld. It was, quite simply, sunshine. It punched its way through a canopy of trees above, filtered through a thin screen of smoke, streamed in through the massive gash in the LVR’s ceiling, and came to rest gently upon her furrowed brow.

Maggie? Maggie, are you okay?

Maggie looked around to see concerned faces peering back at her. I’m fine, she whispered. At least, I think I am.

You must have passed out from the heat, said Mr. Cheeseman as Pinky trotted over and gave her hand an affectionate lick. When Maggie lifted her head to look down at the dog, a dull pain raced across the back of her neck.

Ahhh, she said, pressing her hand to the afflicted area.

Don’t move, said Mr. Cheeseman. Let’s take a look at that. He reached into his pocket and removed a black plastic box no larger than a deck of cards. There were several knobs on the box and two long wires extending outward, each with a small suction cup at the end. He flipped on the power switch, which sent a wave of lime-green light flickering across the tiny screen. He then placed one of the suction cups on his right temple and the other on the back of Maggie’s neck.

Is that where it hurts? he asked.

A little to the left, said Maggie. Mr. Cheeseman adjusted the suction cup accordingly, then winced and grabbed the back of his own neck.

You’re right. That does hurt.

What in the name of Neptune’s whiskers is that thing? asked Captain Jibby through his bushy red beard while his crew looked on, always amazed by Mr. Cheeseman’s inventions.

It’s a little device I like to call the Empathizer, said Mr. Cheeseman, peeling the suction cups from his temple and from Maggie’s neck. I developed it as a means of helping doctors diagnose their patients. Instead of a patient having to describe a pain or sensation, a doctor can simply hook up the Empathizer and feel exactly what the patient feels.

It’s a great invention, said Jough. Unless you’re trying to get out of taking a math test by pretending to have a stomachache.

Or if you say you have a sore throat just so you can eat more ice cream, said Gerard.

Well, I’m no doctor, said Mr. Cheeseman to Maggie. But I’d say you’ve got a mild case of whiplash. Be careful not to move your head any more than you have to.

Just then Jibby let out a crisp, hacking cough. By way of height, he was closest to the hazy cloud that hung overhead.

I don’t like the looks of that smoke, said Mr. Cheeseman. We’d better get out of here and assess the situation. But when he unlocked the pod door and turned the handle, it would not open. He put his shoulder into it but still the door would not budge.

If you don’t mind, said Jibby. This was his way of suggesting that he might have better luck.

Be my guest, said Mr. Cheeseman, stepping aside for the much larger man. Captain Jibby looked at the door, clenched his teeth, and worked his face into a scowl so fierce you would think the door had insulted his mother—which, for the record, it had not.

With a two-step approach, he thrust his shoulder against the hatch with far more force than Mr. Cheeseman had but with an equal degree of futility. The only thing that moved was Jibby’s face, which transformed from angry scowl to painful scowl. It’s stuck, he said. Never in the history of humankind had the obvious been so clearly stated.

Gerard smacked his gum and calmly looked overhead. Well, good thing there’s a hole in the ceiling, he said. Mr. Cheeseman knew Gerard had a very good point. That terrible unintended opening, the one that nearly resulted in their untimely deaths, now seemed to be their only means of escape.

You’re right, Gerard, said Mr. Cheeseman.

I know, said Gerard, matter-of-factly and without the slightest trace of arrogance.

I’ll go first, said Mr. Cheeseman, to make sure it’s safe out there. When I give the word, the rest of you may follow.

Aye, aye, said Captain Jibby, with a quick salute of his right hand. (Or perhaps I should say the Swiss Army knife that stood in place of his hand ever since it was bitten off years ago by one of his circus tigers.)

Mr. Cheeseman climbed onto the chair that Maggie had been sitting on, his head disappearing into the wafting smoke. Be careful, Dad, said Jough.

Don’t worry, Jough. I will. With a quick hoist, the children watched as Mr. Cheeseman ascended into the mist. When he swung his legs onto the roof of the LVR and stood up, it became apparent to him why the door would not open. The LVR had come to rest next to a very large sycamore, the tree’s sturdy trunk rising up precisely where the LVR’s door was meant to open. A design flaw, was Mr. Cheeseman’s first thought. The door should have been made to open inward.

His second thought was, Where the heck are we? For in every direction, all he could see were trees. Well, that’s not entirely true. He could also see plants, shrubs, grass, weeds, dirt, flowers, and a young chipmunk named Phillip. In other words, a forest. And on that forest floor, a good ten feet away, was the LVR’s smoldering ceiling panel, just lying there like the lid of a sardine can that had been eagerly and violently torn away by someone who very much loved sardines.

A quick glance at the LVR’s exterior gave rise to more concern. The source of the smoke was the LVR

Reviews for Another Whole Nother Story

[asomers_8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A quirky story involving time travel, spies, a sock puppet, a monnkey sidekick and a family on the run.This is the type of book that will appeal to reluctant readers, particularly boys. It has just the right amount of humor, adventure, and good guys vs. bad guys.

[little_prof · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quirky and cute. A good beginning to a series. Mr. Cheeseman, his polite, clean, reasonably good smelling children, their hairless, psychic dog, and a sock puppet named Steve are on the run from government agents, international super spies, corporate mobsters, and a chimp. All because of the LVR, which looks like a giant disco ball, but is actually a time machine. Well, they think it's a time machine. Probably. Unless it is just a very heavy disco ball that is wanted by international super spies, government agencies, and corporations that produce microwave ovens and nuclear bombs. And a chimp who once saved the life of an international super spy. You see, Mr. Cheeseman and his children have been running from the aforementioned forces of, lets call them, darkness for so long that they haven't really had time to finish the LVR. So they don't really know if it works. But this just may be the trip where they have to find out.

[ronrose1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very entertaining book filled with intriguing, unusual and sometimes delightfully silly characters. A fortuneteller with short term memory loss, a cowboy poet who rhymes too much, a tightrope walker who has vertigo, a hairless dog who can warn the family of danger approaching from miles away and a one eyed sock puppet who has a mind of his own, are just some of the characters who energize these pages. All these and more are a part of the everyday life of the Cheeseman family on the run from greedy corporate gangsters, government men in suits and an international spy with a chimpanzee for a partner. Why on the run? Well, Mr Cheeseman has or may have a time machine, if he can get it working, that is highly sought after by almost everyone. Add to this the invaluable, unsolicited advice, freely interspersed throughout the book at no extra charge by the author and you have a real winner.

[martinbodek · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I needed a lighthearted diversion amidst all the mind-engrossing non-fiction I'm reading. A friend recommended this and it fit the bill perfectly. The book does have a super-silly wackadoodle shell, but underneath it all, it has a big gooey heart and hurtles expertly towards a heart-pounding climax. Some of the jokes are a bit over-reaching, but the book is certainly entertaining. Now back to my grammar and word books.

[catheolson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fun read in the same style as Series of Unfortunate Events (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if Lemony Snickett and Dr. Cuthbert Soup were one and the same). In this book, the Cheeseman family is on the run from government agents, spies, and evil corporations who are want to get their hands on Mr. Cheeseman's latest invention.

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A psychic, hairless dog, top secret government agents, various members of a traveling circus...with characters like that I just had to read it. Figured it would be a whopper of a tale, and I was right.The Cheeseman family seems to constantly be on the run. Trying to stay ahead of the government agents, international super spies and corporate villains who are all after the LVR that Mr. Cheeseman has invented. The LVR is a time travel machine that should work once Mr. Cheeseman remembers the secret code needed to turn it on.Mr. Ethan Cheeseman (the father) and his two boys and one girl light in a town in hopes of having time to remember the code, but find that their trackers are hot on their tails and so the Cheesemans have to pack and run. One thing that helps keep them just ahead is their psychic, hairless dog Pinky. She has the ability to sniff evil and will growl when it is near. Sort of a natural alarm.When they are forced to pack and run the find themselves meeting up with some unique characters. The traveling circus with a strong man, a man with the name of Three Eyes, the leader named Jibby who has a Swiss army knife in place of a hand, Jake the sword swallower, and a few more. Then the later meet up with the poetry writing cowboy. Helping each other with problems, they all develop a friendship and promise to meet up again.There is also advice given by Dr. Cuthbert Soup as he is an expert on advice giving. This is a fast paced and funny book rated for 8 and up, but adults can get some giggle time out of it too.I didn't list the children's names as they change them each time the family has to pack and run. I can tell you that they are attractive, polite and relatively odor-free children. Also pretty smart and resourceful!

[tabithakf-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such a fun book! I will definitely be using this is my classroom. The book is clever and exciting. Despite the huge amount of names the reader has to remember, somehow the author made it easy to know who was who without being repetitive. The use of the numbers for names to describe rank was pretty clever in itself! It was very well written and wasn't one of those books with glaring grammatical errors that you wouldn't want your kids to see! This ought to be a classic!

[marared9 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From Pinky the hairless dog to Steve the sock puppet, the characters are hilarious, and the plot is just zany enough to lure in reluctant readers. I read this one with my 9 year old son (who isn't a great book-lover) and my 11 year old daughter (who will read anything she can get her hands on), and both laughed out loud all the way through. This is one of those books that parents can read to their kids and enjoy them as much as the kids do. Ethan Cheeseman and his three children are on the run. Ethan has invented a time travel machine and both the government and corporate spies are out to get the plans and the family behind it. The kids choose new names each time they have to escape, and each kid tries to outdo the others with more and more outlandish name inventions. The children's mother has been poisoned by villains seeking the time machine (LVR), but with the LVR in tow there's constant hope that the family will be able to go back in time and rescue her before the dastardly deed is done. Along the way they run into time traveling pirates hosting a circus show, and a tense ending will leave kids begging for more. Fortunately, there's a sequel, aptly titled, "Another Whole Nother Story." But then, that's Another Whole Nother review too.

[deepikasd_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Dr. Cuthbert Soup narrates the story of Mr. Ethan Cheeseman and his three children who are on the run from the government, international spies, and a super secret organization that is related to kitchen appliances and will take over the world if they get their hands on the super secret device that Mr. Cheeseman has built.It all started when Mr. Cheeseman met his beautiful wife, and they had three wonderful children. They created a machine that would change the world, but Mrs. Cheeseman mysteriously died... or to be exact, was murdered. Hence, Mr. Cheeseman completed said device and wants to use it to "bring her back" (by going back in time).Unfortunately, there are people out to get the family, and they are forced to be on the run with their psychic dog. So the family makes their way across country trying to lose their nefarious chasers. On the way, they meet up with some strange people and make friends whom they probably will never see again.. all the while trying to get the machine to work.I loved this story. I think once you're introduced to the characters and then start to realize the gags and such, the story picks up pace. I like how every thing is connected and there for a reason.I recommend this to children of all ages and adults who love humorous stories, as well as to people of all ages who love good advice, even if the advice seems a bit out there and not at all relevant as you might think it is.The book is laid out so that Dr. Cuthbert Soup is giving the reader advice and factoids (that might not really be true in every sense, just so you know to let your children know of their dubious reality) while he narrates a story.The story is reminiscent of Lemony Snicket's "Series of Unfortunate Events" and Pseudonymous Bosch's "Secret Series", in not just the humor of the events, but also the writing style. Also... be prepared to have the rest of the series at hand because you will want to continue on to the next book...

[librarian_tina · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Loved this! Great fun to read. Definitely a recommendation for fans of A Series of Unfortunate Events (among the youngsters) and fans of sci-fi/fantasy humor authors like Pratchett or Holt (for the older crowd... including adults).

[salsabrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Dick Hill. Hill's pacing is spot on for capturing the book?s dry humor. The perfect talent pairing for this cheeky caper about the Cheeseman family trying to find the lost Mrs. Cheeseman while dodging international and government spies and corporate thugs intent on stealing the technology to the LVR time machine.

[hagelstein_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another of my son's books that I read at his recommendation and urging. If Tim Dorsey moved out of Florida and wrote children's books they might be something like this. Minus the murder and drugs, bit still with the memorable characters, interweaving story lines and tons of humor. The Cheeseman family, the machinations of their enemies, and the help of their friends make for a good story. Waiting for the next one.

[debifaulkner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book had me laughing out loud so often, I had to leave the room to keep my family from giving me strange looks. Loved it!

[keeneam · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a quick read and very much like the Unfortunate events series and Terces society books. I enjoyed the story and the wit. I can't wait for the second one, it was left as a cliffhanger. The author narrating directly to the reader along with quips of hilarious advice, makes this a book children will want to finish.

[mjsbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Three attractive, polite, relatively odor-free children help their inventor father keep his time machine out of the hands of government agents, international superspies and corporate villains. The narrative is interspersed with pages of unsolicited advice from Dr. Cuthbert Soup, whose identity is never revealed here but might be in a sequel: the cliffhanger end of this book promises a "whole nother story." Wacky humor that might appeal to Lemony Snicket fans.

[landism_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

•This book tells the story of a scientist and his three children who travel back in time to end a family curse and save their mother. Unfortunately, the time machine breaks and they're stuck in 1668, where they have a variety of bizarre adventures in their quest to return home. This fantasy book was very funny and I think that fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders would really enjoy it. The plotline and characters are ridiculous, but I mean that in the best sense possible. Students could read this book during SSR and it could be a fun read-aloud book for the class. I would advise readers to read Dr. Cuthbert Soup's A Whole Nother Story before reading this sequel, though. I did not initially realize that Another Whole Nother Story is the second in a series and it took a bit of time to understand why these wacky events were taking place.

[kirathelibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Starting where the first book left off, Ethan Cheeseman and his three smart, polite, and relatively odor-free children are traveling back in time to the year 1668 to stop an ancient family curse and save their mother. To do so, they’ll need the help of a group of misfit circus performer/pirates to return a cursed goblet to the rightful owner, the ruler of Denmark. Easy, right? Wrong. Their landing in 1668 is nothing short of bumpy and the time machine needs repairs. To succeed in stopping the curse and repairing the time machine, the misfits set out to restore the goblet while the Cheesmans fix their ride home. The situation only gets worse when the family’s archenemy reappears to destroy them. Having thought they left him tied up in the back of school bus for police, the family doesn’t recognize the now 15 years older and more cunning Mr. Five, Mrs. Cheeseman’s murderer. Well-disguised as an assistant to a friend and former professor of Ethan’s, he is in the perfectly place to carry out his unknown dastardly plans. Will the Cheesemans break the curse? Will they figure out who Mr. Five is before it is too late?ANOTHER WHOLE NOTHER STORY is a funny, quick read for fans of time travel. The characters are well-developed and even more charming than the first book. The plot is well-developed and fairly fast-paced. With a sock puppet that says funny, sometimes impolite comments, a really cute tour guide that the oldest male Cheeseman child, Chip, make a fool of himself , and other antics that reader will never expect, this book is a great addition to any collection. Just make sure to read WHOLE NOTHER STORY first.