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The Mushroom Planet #3
Mr. Bass's Planetoid
A PDF of the children's book
228 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1958
1 person is currently reading
204 people want to read
About the author
Eleanor Cameron
28 books54 followersEleanor Frances Butler Cameron (1912 - 1996) was a Canadian children's author who spent most of her life in California. Born in Winnipeg, Canada in 1912, her family then moved to South Charleston, Ohio when she was 3 years old. Her father farmed and her mother ran a hotel. After three years, they moved to Berkeley, California. Her parents divorced a few years later. At 16, she moved with her mother and stepfather to Los Angeles. She credits her English mother's love of story telling for her inspiration to write and make up stories.
She attended UCLA and the Art Center School of Los Angeles. In 1930, she started working at the Los Angeles Public Library and later worked as a research librarian for the Los Angeles Board of Education and two different advertising companies. She married Ian Cameron, a printmaker and publisher, in 1934 and the couple had a son, David, in 1944.
Her first book came out in 1950, based on her experience as a librarian. It was well received by critics, but didn't sell well. She did not start writing children's books until her son asked him to write one starring him as a character. this resulted in her popular series The Mushroom Planet.
With the success of the Mushroom Planet books, Cameron focused on writing for children. Between 1959 and 1988 she produced 12 additional children's novels, including The Court of the Stone Children (1973) and the semi-autobiographical five book Julia Redfern series (1971–1988). She won the National Book Award for Court of the Stone Children in 1973, and was a runner up for To The Green Mountains in 1979.
In addition to her fiction work, Cameron wrote two books of criticism and reflection on children's literature. The first, The Green and Burning Tree, was released in 1969 and led an increased profile for Cameron in the world of children's literature. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s Cameron worked as a traveling speaker and contributor to publications such as The Horn Book Magazine, Wilson Library Bulletin, and Children's Literature in Education. She was also a member of the founding editorial board for the children's magazine Cricket, which debuted in 1973. In 1972 she and Roald Dahl exchanged barbs across three issues of The Horn Book, a magazine devoted to critical discussions of children's and young adult fiction. Her second book of essays, The Seed and the Vision: On the Writing and Appreciation of Children's Books, came out in 1993. It is her final published book.
From late 1967 until her death Cameron made her home in Pebble Beach, California. She died in hospice in Monterey, California on October 11, 1996 at the age of 84.[
She attended UCLA and the Art Center School of Los Angeles. In 1930, she started working at the Los Angeles Public Library and later worked as a research librarian for the Los Angeles Board of Education and two different advertising companies. She married Ian Cameron, a printmaker and publisher, in 1934 and the couple had a son, David, in 1944.
Her first book came out in 1950, based on her experience as a librarian. It was well received by critics, but didn't sell well. She did not start writing children's books until her son asked him to write one starring him as a character. this resulted in her popular series The Mushroom Planet.
With the success of the Mushroom Planet books, Cameron focused on writing for children. Between 1959 and 1988 she produced 12 additional children's novels, including The Court of the Stone Children (1973) and the semi-autobiographical five book Julia Redfern series (1971–1988). She won the National Book Award for Court of the Stone Children in 1973, and was a runner up for To The Green Mountains in 1979.
In addition to her fiction work, Cameron wrote two books of criticism and reflection on children's literature. The first, The Green and Burning Tree, was released in 1969 and led an increased profile for Cameron in the world of children's literature. Throughout the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s Cameron worked as a traveling speaker and contributor to publications such as The Horn Book Magazine, Wilson Library Bulletin, and Children's Literature in Education. She was also a member of the founding editorial board for the children's magazine Cricket, which debuted in 1973. In 1972 she and Roald Dahl exchanged barbs across three issues of The Horn Book, a magazine devoted to critical discussions of children's and young adult fiction. Her second book of essays, The Seed and the Vision: On the Writing and Appreciation of Children's Books, came out in 1993. It is her final published book.
From late 1967 until her death Cameron made her home in Pebble Beach, California. She died in hospice in Monterey, California on October 11, 1996 at the age of 84.[
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 23, 2019
DS#1 (age 8) really liked the first in the series when I read it out loud, so I managed to get this out of the library.
Boring start, brief turn into interesting when the boys reach , dumb finish to the adventure , long dull philosophical epilogue.
I was really disappointed, as I think I'd remembered just the interesting bits from my own childhood reading. Fewer nods to science this time around, and a lot more fantasy. Not surprised that DS#1 gave up on it mid-way.
Boring start, brief turn into interesting when the boys reach , dumb finish to the adventure , long dull philosophical epilogue.
I was really disappointed, as I think I'd remembered just the interesting bits from my own childhood reading. Fewer nods to science this time around, and a lot more fantasy. Not surprised that DS#1 gave up on it mid-way.
September 6, 2019
Although the first two books in the series have been republished, we had to get this one on interlibrary loan. These books are utterly charming in one way -- you want to know more about Mr. Bass, and Basidium, and Mebe and Oru. And yet I had forgotten how little "screen/page" time those characters actually get. The plots of #2 and #3 are pretty same-y -- potential interloper about to find out the secret! -- and somehow the books, though they have that aura of charm, just don't have compelling enough plots to sustain interest. We've decided not to continue the series, but to move on to other things on our bedtime reading list.
It *was* interesting to me, given all we've learned about exoplanets, and the potential for life there, and the resilience of bacteria in space, especially in spore form, that Cameron included elements of all of those in this book.
It *was* interesting to me, given all we've learned about exoplanets, and the potential for life there, and the resilience of bacteria in space, especially in spore form, that Cameron included elements of all of those in this book.
February 23, 2015
Good book in the Mushroom Planet series. Would appeal to preteens and is actually pretty astounding in that it was written before any Americans made it into space. Lots of good suspense and of course the same cool characters from the other books and some new ones as well. Good light reading and a good continuation of the series. Two more to go and I've read them all. Recommend to one and all.
January 4, 2021
I loved these as a child and I love them at least as much now. I'm thoroughly enjoying reading through all five books.
March 10, 2025
A well-meaning but misguided scientist finds a piece of the mushroom planet and tries to make a spectacular machine out of it. Unfortunately said machine will blow up the world, so it is up to Dave and Chuck to save us all.
They do, and find out the scientist is another member of the race of mushroom people like Mr. Bass.
They do, and find out the scientist is another member of the race of mushroom people like Mr. Bass.
February 28, 2021
The author brings a deeper peril, and exploits for our intrepid inter-planetary traveling boys.
Another scientist of Mr. Bass' acquaintance has the boys scrambling to save the very universe with what might be a device capable of total destruction. They bravely travel to a small planetoid, with impending danger, and the clock ticking.
The evocative descriptions add a new dimension to the story-telling, along with the steady addition of Science to amuse, and entertain.
Another scientist of Mr. Bass' acquaintance has the boys scrambling to save the very universe with what might be a device capable of total destruction. They bravely travel to a small planetoid, with impending danger, and the clock ticking.
The evocative descriptions add a new dimension to the story-telling, along with the steady addition of Science to amuse, and entertain.
November 20, 2018
Excellent kids book. Early stage reader. Recommend starting with first book, the wonderful flight to the mushroom planet. Second book, Stow away to the mushroom planet. Excellent series.
March 3, 2019
More wild fantasy mixed with real science, like orbital mechanics and black holes.
December 17, 2012
David Topman and Chuck Masterson were contacted by Dr. Horace Frobisher who needed help to stop a young man, Prewytt Brumblydge, from his experiments with his invention, the Brumblitron, a device to produce energy cheaply and convert sea water to fresh water. Frobisher believed it would explode and threaten the world. It was powered by a metal that came from a meteorite, extremely heavy, and gleaming with a green tinge when looked at under a filter the young man had invented.
It had to come from Basidium!
The boys meet Prewytt when he comes to visit Tyco Bass and wants the piece of the same metal the little scientist had found. He takes it and disappears to continue his work undisturbed.
In looking over Tyco's book of Random Jottings, at the urging of Mr. Theo by means of signaling with a special lantern of Tyco toward Basidium. They found mention of another small body Tyco had found orbiting Earth, only a mile across. The plan was to take off to there with Tyco's telescope aboard, and his filter, and scan Earth for the glowing green.
An adventure for young boys, and girls, in this wonderful children's series.
It had to come from Basidium!
The boys meet Prewytt when he comes to visit Tyco Bass and wants the piece of the same metal the little scientist had found. He takes it and disappears to continue his work undisturbed.
In looking over Tyco's book of Random Jottings, at the urging of Mr. Theo by means of signaling with a special lantern of Tyco toward Basidium. They found mention of another small body Tyco had found orbiting Earth, only a mile across. The plan was to take off to there with Tyco's telescope aboard, and his filter, and scan Earth for the glowing green.
An adventure for young boys, and girls, in this wonderful children's series.
February 23, 2009
Part of the Mushroom Planet Series, which got me interested in Sci-fi at a young age. See my review of the first book, "Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet". Kept me interested enough to continue with the series.
June 16, 2008
Fun book to read. Child book.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews