The Rat with the Human Face: The Qwikpick Papers

The Qwikpick Papers #2

by Tom Angleberger

This hilarious, highly original series, which so astutely captures the odd preoccupations of middle schoolers, will appeal to the many fans of the Origami Yoda series and such gross-out classics as How to Eat Fried Worms and Freckle Juice.

Lyle Hertzog and his friends Marilla and Dave are the Qwikpick Adventure Society, three kids who seek out adventure in their seemingly quiet hometown of Crickenburg. On the hunt for their next big mission—something to top the Fountain of Poop, if that’s even possible—the kids overhear a construction worker telling his buddies about a rat with a human face he saw in the basement of an old research facility. The decision is unanimous: the next adventure for the Qwikpick Society is on! But when their trip to find the rat doesn’t go quite as expected, the trio gets into big trouble. Will the second adventure for the Qwikpick Society also be their last?

Genres: Humor, Middle Grade, Adventure, Fiction, Childrens, Audiobook, Friendship

160 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2015

About the author

Tom Angleberger artist-turned-writer. He is a columnist for the Roanoke Times in Roanoke, Virginia, and began work on his first book while in middle school. Tom is married to author-illustrator Cece Bell. He lives in Christianburg, Virginia.

Reviews

[Clare Doornbos · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books are so great, simple and real. I love that an adventure could be so mundane and an Andrew Jackson doll could be such a prize. It really reminds me of being young and having a slightly wobbly view of the world.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE RAT WITH THE HUMAN FACE by Tom Angleberger is the second silly adventure in The QuikPick Papers series.

In a followup to the infamous Poop Fountain incident, the Qwikpick Adventure Society trio investigate an abandoned research facility looking for a rumored rat with a human face. The story is told as a semi-official report detailing their exploits along with the consequences.

The book’s scrapbook appearance with taped in photos, drawings, typewritten pages, handwritten notes, and other visually interesting elements will be popular with young readers.

Fans of Tom Angleberger who enjoy tales of harmless troublemaking will be eager to jump into his latest, fast-paced adventure. However, young readers looking for literary depth won’t get past the title and first few pages. With the popularity of the first title in this series as well as the Origami Yoda books, librarians are sure to find readers for this book. The combination of light realism and humor are perfect for reluctant readers.

To learn more about the author and his books, go to http://origamiyoda.com/.

Published by Amulet Books on April 21, 2015. ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

[Mitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good-hearted nerds with an adventurous streak hear of a human-faced rat (a funny twist on all the rat-faced humans we normally deal with) and they plan and scheme (but never lie) to investigate it. They persevere and manage to get a blurry, inconclusive photo that may just be a rat with a slight resemblance to George Washington. But the prize was never the rat but the adventure.

[Andrea Labonte · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got page 52 and just couldn't get into it. I liked the first book better.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three members of the Kwikpick Adventure Society embark on a perilous adventure to find the elusive ‘rat with the human face.’ On their way, they not only face seeming impossible obstacles, but they also face the prospect that their friendship will fall apart. The Main Idea of the book is about how true friendships hold together, and even become stronger, under the most adverse circumstances. This is a fun, quirky book about three nerdy but lovable kids who go on an adventure to find the rumored ‘rat with a human face.’ Is there really a rat with such a face? Or is it all a myth or some sort of trick that the older kids played on the younger kids? Will the stress of the adventure survive? As the kids go on their adventure, we get to learn about their families and their hobbies and their struggles in school with being different than other groups of kids. The story is told in the form of an ‘investigative report’ written by a member of the Kwikpick Adventure Society named Kyle. He says it’s ‘unofficial’ and ‘off the record.’ But what does he mean by that?

[Sean Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

Second book in the series follows on from the first, and again feels slightly flat, although it does have some good moments. Not Anglebergers best that I have read, and I am looking forward to one day reading the origami books, this one was OK but not that great.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved book 1 about the Poop Fountain, but this one did not live up to my expectations. Obviously, there's no such thing as a rat with a human face. The Qwikpick kids swear they saw it, but of course, the photos are blurry. I wanted a logical explanation and didn't get it. Therefore, disappointed.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny book! I wish I had realized it was second in a series.

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My son and I have read this entire series now. We enjoyed this one but found it short and not quite as intriguing as Poop Fountain.

[Yan Hoi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I read it to p. 100 and I still don't understand this book is telling what!
Also,It is boring as there are not any screens that was funny or exciting.
Therefore I don't like this book!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who wouldn't track down a rat with a human face?

[Hollowspine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second in the series has the three Qwikpick adventurers searching desperately yet again for an adventure to take before

Lyle Herzog starts out the story basically saying that he always thought he was a ‘good kid,’ but now he’s been labelled a bad kid. Then he goes on to explain how he became a bad kid during the adventure of searching for the Rat with a Human Face.

Again Lyle worries and gets frustrated with people’s assumptions about him due to the fact that he lives in a trailer park. He’s tired of hearing jokes about ‘double wides’ when his family dreams of moving into a double wide. He’s tired of people assuming that he’s a bad kid, or dumb, just because he lives in a trailer.

Fueled by a competition to win Marilla’s affection, especially before the band trip that is all Marilla and Dave can talk about, the three decide to take the expensive and dangerous mission of finding the Rat with the Human Face in a closed research facility. One of the elements that had me thinking was that Dave pays for both Lyle and Marilla to go on a bus trip and both Marilla and Lyle are made uncomfortable by his insistence that they can ‘pay him back,’ realizing how different Dave viewed what to them was an insane amount of money.

All three, however, feel the pressure of the money when they keep encountering problem after problem and it looks like the money might have been spent for nothing. In this book they face more problems between the three members of the club than in the first book.

I also liked how even though Lyle views Dave as his rival and sometimes felt irritated by Dave’s wealthy family and domineering leadership style he also acknowledged when Dave was right and why Dave is his best friend, all three characters have the chance both to shine and to fail. Although I thought that the Poop Fountain was a stronger overall novel, I enjoyed this search for the humanly faced rat as well and liked the further development of the three characters here.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rat with the Human Face is the second book in the The Qwikpick Papers series by Tom Angleberge. It is currently scheduled for release on April 21 2015. Lyle Hertzog and his friends Marilla and Dave are the Qwikpick Adventure Society. The three kids seek out adventure in their seemingly quiet hometown of Crickenburg. In hunting for their next big adventure the kids overhear a construction worker telling his buddies about a rat with a human face he saw in the basement of an old research facility. The decision is unanimous: the next adventure for the Qwikpick Society is on! But when their trip to find the rat doesn’t go quite as expected, the trio gets in big trouble. Will the second adventure for the Qwikpick Society also be their last?


Alright, i admit that I get a kick out for the voice and humor found in every Angleberger book that i have read thus far. The Rat with the Human Face is no exception. The series is fun and captures the conflicts in the middle schooler's mind, and in the world. Lyle is the main voice in this adventure, and we get a clear picture of his mindset and worries. The notion of being a good kid that gets in trouble more than any of the trouble makers is something I could relate to, even though those years are further behind me than I care to think about. The adventure and planning seemed to go pretty quick in this instalment, but was still interesting. I liked that the answers about the rat are not just thrown at the reader, and we get to use our imagination and mind to decide its real nature.

I highly recommend The Rat with the Human Face to everyone that enjoyed the first book in the Qwikpick Papers series. It is funny, full of adventure, and has moments that every middle grader can relate to on some level.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing his Qwikpick Papers series with this adventure featuring Marilla, Lyle, and Dave, all three members of The Qwikpick Adventure Society, Tom Angleberger sends them off in search of a rat that supposedly has the face of a human. Since the rat is rumored to have been sighted at a nearby research facility. But since the place is closed and too far for them to visit by bike, they concoct a plan to go on an outing with some senior citizens in order to reach their destination. There are creepy scenes and some rather gross scenes as the three friends wander around in search of their prey, all amid competitions of Rhyme-jitsu and hints of budding romance. It's hard not to feel sorry for poor Lyle who always somehow ends up in trouble and is painted as the bad boy at school. Late elementary and early middle graders will enjoy this fast read with its sly humor and suspenseful qualities. I also liked the fact that the author addresses the assumptions many of us make about those who live in trailer parks, something Lyle often must contend with.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you do if you overheard an electrician talking about his last job at a seasonal reaserch lab where he encountered a large rat with a human face? If you were one of the middle school members of the Qwikpick Adventure Society you’d decide to investigate, obviously. The diverse crew: Lyle, Marilla and Dave, are back in a second realistic adventure told in epistolary style with a mix of journal entries, hand-drawn comics, and unofficial asides. The quirky charm of the first volume, Poop Fountain, is still present: the kids are desperate to win a stuffed Adrew Jackson doll from an arcade game, but there is more time devoted to Lyle’s anxiety around his crush on Marilla and his competition with Dave. Adding to the realism of economic concerns, social anxiety and some unsympathethic adults are the dire consquences resulting from their adventure, which set the stage for the final volume in the series.

[Courtenay · Rating 1 out of 5]

The repetition got to be too much in the first few chapters. I liked the gimmick of the crinkled papers, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading. Maybe that was part of what Tom was going for with voice, but I didn't read any more to find out. I have way, way too many books in my to-read pile and this one didn't hold my interest past page 16. Characters I didn't care for, a story that didn't grab me. Kids may like it (there must be a reason Mr. Angleberger is a NYT bestselling author); I turned instead to Cynthia Lord's Handful of Stars which, to me, was far more engaging, intriguing and interesting. Anything I don't finish automatically gets one star. If you liked it, kudos to you for staying with it longer than I did.

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the series, this one has Lyle, Marilla, and Dave, AKA members of The Qwikpick Adventure Society, decide to the research building on Bent Mountain in order to see if there truly is a rat that has a human face. Told in the first person by Lyle in the format of a “report”, Angleberger detail the many twists, turns, roadblocks, and dangers encountered by the intrepid trio. Fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will enjoy this solid series of wacky adventures, though this is skewed to a slightly younger audience and has fewer illustrations helping to tell the story.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lyle, Marilla, and Dave are back. This time, they hear about a strange creature at an abandoned laboratory and wangle a way to get there, but experience more misadventure than adventure. More of the same from Poop Fountain, with a story told through typewritten evidence, handwritten notes, and black and white photographs and cartoon art. Since the kids' activities result, this time, in the disbanding of the adventure club, we can only wonder if more installments will be coming. Original and good-hearted. Upper elementary.

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The trio from the Qwickpick Adventure Society, Marilla, Dave, and Lyle overhear talk about a huge rat with a human face at an abandoned research building. Too tempting to ignore, they embark on yet another danger fraught mission. Unforeseen surprises await them at the end of their adventure. The complex issues some of the adults in their life battle, gives this title more depth and realism. This is a quick read reluctant readers and kids that crave humor will enjoy.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as an ARC at the ALA Midwinter Conference. I enjoyed this book. The characters were likable, and the story kept my interest. I liked how the pages looked like they had been typed on a typewriter, as this lent credibility to the story. I think my 4th and 5th graders will enjoy this book.

[Kristin R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three friends have a secret club, The Qwikpick Adventure Society. They have overheard someone talking about seeing a rat with a human face at a closed down experimental lab and they must go see it! The book is told as a report from their adventure.

[John Nondorf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, but not as good as Poop Fountain and certainly not up to par with Angleberger's Origami Yoda series. The adolescent concerns and voices are believable, and I do like the case file format, but the story is not as compelling here.

[Marlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was rather silly. However, it had my son and me both laughing out loud. If you enjoyed the first book in this series, or if you like this author, you will probably find some fun and some humour in this book.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a great pick for kids who want more Origami Yoda-style Angleberger. The characters are well developed and the pace is quick in this funny, quirky read.

[Dragonfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to my mom for bringing this back from ALA Midwinter!

[Kelly Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first book in this series better, but this one does leave the reader hanging for the 3rd and final book in the series.

[Andréa]

Note: I received an ARC from the publisher.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Far more about adventure and friendship than about that creepy rat. :)

[Pat Tea]

social economic diversity

[Tracie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three friends are determined to find a way to investigate the rumor of a rat with a human face at a nearby research institute.