Description:
Fourth grader Akiko continues her adventures on Planet Smoo after being selected as the one earthling suited for the job of rescuing Prince Froptoppit from the evil Alia Rellapor (read all about it in Akiko on the Planet Smoo). Akiko and the extraterrestrial crew of her flying boat--prim Mr. Beeba, gallant Spuckler, robot Gax, and eerie, levitating Poog--lose their way over the Moonguzzit Sea, crash-land into the waiting jaws of a giant sea snake, and make their way to the Sprubly Islands, where a tiny clairvoyant queen awaits them to offer guidance. But the other Sprubly Islanders are not so welcoming as Queen Pwip, and when Akiko's friends disappear into the sky, she must fend for herself in this strange, Lilliputian world, complete with brave, blustering soldiers and an exotic palace. Based on Mark Crilley's original comic strip, the Akiko series of illustrated novels is bursting with all the elements of a fast-paced adventure story. Akiko and her friends travel in air, underwater, and overland, where they meet unusual friends and enemies. Throughout, Akiko struggles with her role as heroine; starting as a shy fourth grader in Middleton, Earth, she's come a long way. Homesickness and bouts of uncertainty never get the best of her, though, and the reader will love watching Akiko's spunky nature bloom as she rises to every occasion. At novel's end, Prince Froptoppit is still unsaved--watch for future episodes from Crilley. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter
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