Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius

Journal of a Cardboard Genius

by Frank Asch

Self-proclaimed genius inventor Alex is convinced that his little brother Jonathan is evil. The kid never shuts up. He's a klutz, and he drools on his pillow when he sleeps. Jonathan's specialty, though, is sticking to Alex like glue -- and sticking his nose into his big brother's business. That's why Alex has to leave Earth and fly so far away that no one will ever be able to find him. Using cardboard, duct tape, old odds and ends and his amazing scientific imagination, Alex builds Star Jumper, a spaceship that will deliver him from his rotten little brother forever! It's a plan only a cardboard genius could ever hope to pull off. But Jonathan has other ideas -- and a secret that ultimately brings forth Alex's most brilliant creation ever!

Genres: Science Fiction, Juvenile, Childrens, Fantasy, Humor, Fiction, Chapter Books

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Frank Asch is an American children's writer, best known for his Moonbear picture books.

Asch published his first picture book, George's Store, in 1968. The following year he graduated from Cooper Union with a BFA. Since then he has taught at a public school in India, as well as at a Montessori school in the United States, conducted numerous creative workshops for children. He has written over 60 books, including Turtle Tale, Mooncake, I Can Blink and Happy Birthday Moon. In 1989 he wrote Here Comes the Cat! in collaboration with Vladimir Vagin. The book was awarded the Russian National Book Award and was considered the first Russian-American collaboration on a children's book.

Asch lived in Somerville, New Jersey where he and his wife home-schooled their son Devin.

He currently lives in Vermont with his wife, Jan.

Reviews

[Rachel Hartman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven't read it, in fact, but my 8-year-old son really loves it. This has resulted in some enormous cardboard constructions, which I'm cool with. Wandering the alley in search of junk to use is less fun for me, but I am pleased by his focus on this project.

Also: he's stopped bugging me to give him a sibling, so that's a bonus.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book talk: Einstein has nothing on Alex. Sure, Einstein has the theory of relativity to his name, but Alex has created a spaceship from only cardboard, duct tape, and other scraps found in the attic of his parents' house. Life is bound to be lonely in space, and Alex will miss his parents and his friends, but it will be worth it to get away from his little brother Jonathan. Until then he has to put up with him though, which can get in the way of his work. His brother's annoying ways are the reason he's building a spaceship, but they may also be the reason he never completes it.

Rocks my socks: This novel reminded me of an extended Calvin and Hobbes storyline. The novel is realistic, but Alex is completely convinced of the efficacy of his cardboard spaceship, shrink ray, and duplicator, and describes the effects of the devices as if they are really happening. I also enjoyed the relationship between Alex and Jonathan and how it is finally resolved. This book has humor, heart, and a lot of imagination.

Rocks in my socks: The novel contains a subplot romance between Alex and a girl in his class and it felt a bit tagged on and distracting to me. I also think that considering the audience it's aiming for it might turn off some readers as well. Especially because the novel is so short, I think it would have been better to keep the focus on the sibling relationship.

Every book its reader: I'd give it to 2nd and 3rd graders looking for an easy chapter book. Our 2nd grade does a unit on inventors so we've used it as a read aloud with them and they enjoyed it. Kids who like Calvin and Hobbes will enjoy reading about Alex and his adventures.

Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard Genius by Frank Asch

Read more of my reviews at http://auldschoollibrarian.blogspot.com/

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute early-ish chapter book, perfect for second grade. Our narrator, Alex, is a scientific genius who has figured out how to make a spaceship out of cardboard boxes, all to get away from his annoying younger brother Jonathan. Alex's voice is authentic and age-appropriate (I know Jonathan is 6, but unclear on how much older Alex is), and his perspective on Jonathan and his parents is always deadpan and frequently hilarious. Most of the narrative is spent with Alex and Jonathan as the younger brother tries to join in his older sibling's imaginative play. Alex slowly starts to realize that Jonathan has a little bit of genius in him as well, and that there are some good reasons not to go gallivanting off to another galaxy (chiefly, the lovely Zoe Breen). I loved the off-the-cuff references to superstring and quantum theory -- Alex really knows his scientific stuff! But there is no knowledge of science required to enjoy this lighthearted look at sibling conflict and the power of children's imaginations. The illustrations interspersed throughout are fun and seem designed to appeal to "Wimpy Kid" aficionados.

[jackie norris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this with my 8yo. Felt like 80% of the book was the main character complaining about his brother, and the attempts at repairing that relationship were weak and short-term. I would have much rather the book focused on his inventions and creativity.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned that kids LOVE to make things from junk. I cleaned out my storage room and brought all sorts of things to school for October's PK Book Club. You wouldn't believe all the space ships that were constructed!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for 2-3-4 Grade boys. I think of it as what happened to Harold of 'Harold and the Purple Crayon' when he got a bit older.

[Kira Nerys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably about a 2nd-grade read, but perfect for any inventive child. Alex decides to build a spaceship to get away from his annoying younger brother Jonathan--a spaceship made of cardboard, of course! And leaving the planet will be worth escaping Jonathan, even if he will miss Mom and Dad sometimes...

The writing shows its intended audience, which is to say, it seemed juvenile. Nonetheless, it felt engaging and fast-paced, with the invulnerability, imagination, and unshakable self-confidence of an elementary school kid. Asch writes with energy and clarity, perfectly-suited to a kid who'll spend the rest of their time playing tag and cutting duct tape. Alex's imagination blends the boundaries of real and not, creating a science-fiction-like element of space travel within an otherwise ordinary family home (and forcing me to question my assumption that it's all his imagination). A crush on a classmate, only mentioned near the end of the book, struck me as the only excess--Alex feels too young to feature that in his diary. I enjoyed Star Jumper so much I almost added it to my bookshelf, but it will find an excellent home with our neighbor's son. I have no doubt the sequels are perfect for anyone who loves this first book.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alex wants to build a space ship to go to the other side of the galaxy, far far away from little brother Jonathan. Using cardboard and junk he builds his space ship, space suit, and equipment. Jonathan is sure Alex is building something for him. When he finds out Alex is not, he is telling Mom. Alex must find a way to defeat Jonathan's evil deeds.

I laughed out loud at times. This story is told in the first person point-of-view which makes is so much more funny because Alex is throwing asides at the reader through the whole book. He is my kind of kid. I could place myself in Alex's shoes and feel exactly as he was feeling. I totally enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Ryan Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy who creates a rocket ship out of cardboard boxes. Sounded awesome. I think the book couldn't decide if it was about magical (scientific?) realism or about imagination, so I wasn't sure either. It's possible to write for a lower-reading-level audience without dumbing down plot. But this book seemed to ask lower readers to accept things that just didn't make sense.

[Elizabeth Ricks · Rating 1 out of 5]

Although there are a lot of fun things about this book, not the least of which is using cardboard to make amazing inventions, I simply hated the way the older brother treated the younger brother. Maybe it hails from my childhood of being the youngest child, but all the name calling and disrespect was more than I could stomach.

[Jaclyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun story for young readers. A boy with an out-of-this-world imagination creates all kinds of things from the "junk/treasures" he finds around the house. He tries to make a rocket ship that will take him away from his annoying little brother.

[Jill CD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute, funny, and possibly a good read aloud for 2-3rd grades. It would be fun to pair up with the Caine’s Arcade video and cardboard box challenge.

[Michael Lent · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laugh-out loud fun that delves into sibling rivalry from a child's point of view.

Our six-year old LOVED this book. Needs to be a series.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Calvin’s review: I liked how at the end he was friends with his little brother.

Soren’s review: I like my brother

[Agustina Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me gusto, me pareció divertido y la temática que abarca y su forma de hacerlo me pareció muy interesante, el final no es mi favorito pero el libro me gustó!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

So cute, creative, and funny. My students really like this book.

[Adrian Dahlquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Star Jumper by Frank Ash is journeys through the life of a young scientist/inventory named Alex. He is a self proclaimed mastermind who narrates his personal account through his journal of a cardboard genius. Alex has on major problem; his brother. Six year old Jonathan always seems to make life difficult for Alex. He is always prying and always annoying Alex when he is working on his inventions. However, older brother Alex is smarter and stronger; he has come up with the greatest idea which will solve his major problem. Alex invents and builds Star Jumper, his space ship, which will free him from his annoying little brother. His plan is to leave planet Earth and discover a new planet, one without Jonathan.
I personally loved the character Alex and his little brother Jonathon. Being an older sister I can relate to having a younger sibling and sharing the same feelings that Alex had when I was younger. Also, being a science major, I really enjoyed Star Jumper because it incorporated a lot of information related to science. I can see how this book would be inspiring to young children who have a knack for inventing and using their imagination. To me, this book seems to encourage its readers to express their imagination through Alex’s”genius” as well as portrays the relationship between siblings.
I definitely think I will incorporate Star Jumper into my classroom. I would integrate this book into my science curriculum and into my language arts curriculum. I think that the author does a great job portraying the relationships between siblings in a way that many of his readers can identify with. In addition, incorporating Alex’s enthusiasm for inventing as well as his confidence as a genius may encourage my students to believe in themselves and to become passionate about their own education. Thus, I hope to use Star Jumper in my classroom some day.

[Ethan Bierlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book title: Star Jumper: Journal of a Cardboard genius
Author: Frank Asch
Lexile: 640L
Star rating: 3.5 stars

I liked this book because it is one of those "kid genius" books, where there is a super smart kid who can do like anything, and in this story there is a kid named Alex who built a rocket out of cardboard to escape to another galaxy just to get away from his pest of a brother. Another reason I liked this book is because I can completely relate to this book, having a younger brother who can be quite annoying at times and I wish I could just punch in the face sometimes.

One of my favorite parts is when Alex has made a shrink ray gun, and he accidentally shrinks Jonathan with it. The main reason I liked this part is because it just makes you want to cheer, because Jonathan finally got a taste of his own medicine. Another reason I liked this part is because it showed a bit of a brotherly relationship going on, but not too much at the same time.

My least favorite part of the book is when at the end Alex and Jonathan are "fighting", and Jonathan destroys Alex's spaceship, star jumper. The reason I didn't like this part is because Alex didn't even try to get revenge on his brother afterwards. Instead, he offered to clean up the mess and take Jonathan to the movies. The other reason I didn't like this part is because it showed way to much brotherly love between Jonathan and Alex, who have been bitter rivals pretty much their whole life.

I would recommend this book to people who like the "kid genius", "genre". The reason for this is because Alex has all the traits of a kid genius, he was able to build a rocket from cardboard that actually worked, and many other things. Even his brother Jonathan at the end of the book showed some kid genius traits.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book celebrates the confident imagination of a young boy who claims throughout the book to be inventing a spaceship (and all of its component parts) from cardboard boxes and pieces of junk throughout his home. it’s been awhile since i’ve read a book for this age group (early chapter book readers) that does this trick of seeming to be based in reality (there are no aliens and we’re not in the “future”) but whose main character is so convinced that he can make a functioning spaceship and “duplicator” and other fantastical inventions, that you begin to believe him. he is working on these inventions so that he can escape from a household that contains his little brother who is a pest (according to him). of course, by the end, he decides to stay on this planet after all. a good, quick read.

[Sarah Shufelt]

Self-proclaimed kid-genius Alex despises his younger brother Jonathan. Alex uses his technical skills and random things gathered from around his house to create a spaceship to get away from Jonathan. Alex is successful, but he returns home quickly. He then invents other ways to escape or anger his younger brother. While the sibling rivalry and use of outer space in the book might be appealing to young readers, the book lacks a satisfying end and the continuous sibling bashing is disconcerting. Fans of the Wimpy Kid series will be drawn to the journal-like format of Star Jumper, but The Wimpy Kid series is better written, more humorous, and shows sibling relationships in a more positive way.

[Jnase1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 because the main character is so mean to his little brother. Written on a fourth grade reading level, but younger readers would enjoy it, although some scientific terms mentioned throughout (like string theory) might be even over fourth graders' heads. Overall, it was enjoyable, but overly embellished in exaggeration of impossible events. Even a cardboard genius can't jump through walls, fly to space, or shrink people with cardboard and everyday household items. However, this story might encourage kids to use their imagination rather than veg in front of the tv or computer.

[Lynda Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know I need to do a much better job at reading books for the emerging reader. I picked this up thinking it was a grade 2, maybe 3 but found some content and vocabulary might be tricky for an average grade 2 reader for sure. I love how creative the main character, Alex, is with all his inventions. I disliked how mean spirited he is toward his younger brother throughout much of the book. The ending, with Alex heading to a movie to be with a girl crush, felt out of age character for me. I might offer this more to grade 4.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A boy uses cardboard and scrap materials to build a star ship to take him away from his bratty younger brother. Very imaginative and occasionally amusing. The depth of hatred the older sibling has for the younger gets old very quickly. Both siblings act very young in the story but the older is apparently at least 10. It would be hard to recommend this book to children simply because I'm not sure what age group it is directed toward.

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my 10 & 8 year old kids because it is on their Battle of the Books list. We really enjoyed the imagination of the boy in the story. Right up my kids' alley since cardboard boxes and duct tape are also 2 of their favorite things to play with! It's easy to read and we had it done in about a week.

[Tamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book! My students and I can so relate to the pesky little sibling syndrome. Funny, relatable, with 2 more books following, Gravity Buster and Time Twister. Found this author, (Frank Asche) while ordering his charming Moon Bear books. I read it to my fourth graders, but great for second grade and up.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A budding scientist uses cardboard to make a spaceship to escape his younger brother. Drawings are scattered throughout the book. It says it's a journal but is doesn't seem very 'journally' - no dates written.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Maud Hart Lovelace nominee about a boy who is sick of his younger brother. He thinks he is beyond Einstein smart and it is a clever breezy story about siblings and using imagination to deal with annoying situations. I think it would be a good read aloud.

[Christian B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was an awsome book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Christi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3rd or 4th grade reading level. Older brother is a genius who can create amazing devises out of cardboard and other household objects so decides to build a space ship to get away from his annoying younger brother.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have you ever just wanted to get away from a little brother or sister? Kid genius Alex is determined to do just that... so determined that he builds his own spaceship to travel far enough away that his brother can never find him. Will Alex's plan work?