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SPHDZ
The campaign is going well. The SPHDZ word is getting out. 1000's of kids have signed up to say they are SPHDZ. But things haven't gotten any easier for Michael K. The SPHDZ are still trying to blend in to our Earth culture, but not very successfully. They're still mixing up Thanksgiving, cartoon plots, holidays, and commercials. This makes it especially hard for Michael K. to both hide the SPHDZ from Agent Umber and accomplish the SPHDZ Mission. He's forced to enlist the help of fellow fifth graders, Venus and TJ.
When they (Michael K. and the SPHDZ) are given the assignment to write and perform the school play, Umber thinks he's closing in on the aliens...the kindergartners playing the turkeys.
When they (Michael K. and the SPHDZ) are given the assignment to write and perform the school play, Umber thinks he's closing in on the aliens...the kindergartners playing the turkeys.
230 pages, Hardcover
Published December 21, 2010
6 people are currently reading
87 people want to read
About the author
Jon Scieszka
244 books1,554 followersJon Scieszka is an American children's writer, best known for picture books created with the illustrator Lane Smith. He is also a nationally recognized reading advocate, and the founder of Guys Read – a web-based literacy program for boys whose mission is "to help boys become self-motivated, lifelong readers."
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
August 6, 2024
Spaceheadz Book #2 certainly outdid the first book. Sure, I enjoyed the first book, but I REALLY loved this one! I have yet to run across a Jon Scieszka book I don't like, so I'm not surprised. In this book, sometimes his writing reminded me a lot of Lemony Snicket or Christopher Moore, two of my favorite writers so I had to grin. Those moments remind me about why I love reading so much and what it is my favorite authors do that make them my favorite. The only thing I would have changed was at the end when they were dressed up for the play, I wish he would have called Michael K. just Wolf K. instead of Wolf Michael K. I think that would have been funnier.
Aside from the story being hilarious and really fun, Shane Prigmore! I loved his illustrations before but I swear, they are so spectacular! I don't know if Scieszka and Prigmore knew each other before hand, but what a match made in heaven! Prigmore's illustrations are just so perfect for these books. And I love every single one.
Speaking of which, isn't the cover art just so fantastic? Yes it is, you can't even deny.
Well, I could gush on and on about how great I think Jon Scieszka and Shane Prigmore are, but you should just find out for yourself and read these books. They are a whole lot of fun!
And with that, I will end this review with some awesome photos of Bob. If you recall my review of the first book, I loved Bob's perpetual creeper grin. And I still do. It's so fantastic!
I also loved the illustration of the Spaceheadz Facebook page! Its hard to see but I chuckled when I saw it.
Aside from the story being hilarious and really fun, Shane Prigmore! I loved his illustrations before but I swear, they are so spectacular! I don't know if Scieszka and Prigmore knew each other before hand, but what a match made in heaven! Prigmore's illustrations are just so perfect for these books. And I love every single one.
Speaking of which, isn't the cover art just so fantastic? Yes it is, you can't even deny.
Well, I could gush on and on about how great I think Jon Scieszka and Shane Prigmore are, but you should just find out for yourself and read these books. They are a whole lot of fun!
And with that, I will end this review with some awesome photos of Bob. If you recall my review of the first book, I loved Bob's perpetual creeper grin. And I still do. It's so fantastic!
I also loved the illustration of the Spaceheadz Facebook page! Its hard to see but I chuckled when I saw it.
March 31, 2025
Spaceheadz 2 is better than the first Spaceheadz. It was distinctly funnier, and it introduced characters that I liked better than Michael K or the alien kids. They are TJ and Venus, nerd kids who are very fun to read about. I think I had a little crush on Venus.
October 14, 2014
If you’re Spaceheadz and you know it clap your hands!
Michael K. and his alien friends are back in the second action-packed installment of the SPHDZ series. Spaceheadz Bob, Jennifer, and Major Fluffy are still trying to disguise themselves and blend in at Michael’s elementary school, where they’re working undercover to recruit as many people to sign up for the SPHDZ website as possible. It’s a life or death situation because their home base will deactivate the Earth if they can’t get enough signatures!
Michael K. and his new friends Venus and TJ have to work as hard as they can to protect the aliens’ identities and get kids signed up on the website. It’s harder than it sounds—all the while they have to thwart the dastardly plans of the Anti-Alien Agency. With bumbling Agent Umber on the trail, a series of weirdo happenings circling around the bizarre Bob and Jennifer, and a chaotic kindergarten play, will Michael K. be able to save the day (and, more importantly, save the Earth from destruction)?
The zany story and awesome illustrations will be a blast for readers, and the book’s supplementary website (http://www.sphdz.com/) is jam-packed with extra goodies from the author and illustrator. Remember…BE SPHDZ, save the world!
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
Michael K. and his alien friends are back in the second action-packed installment of the SPHDZ series. Spaceheadz Bob, Jennifer, and Major Fluffy are still trying to disguise themselves and blend in at Michael’s elementary school, where they’re working undercover to recruit as many people to sign up for the SPHDZ website as possible. It’s a life or death situation because their home base will deactivate the Earth if they can’t get enough signatures!
Michael K. and his new friends Venus and TJ have to work as hard as they can to protect the aliens’ identities and get kids signed up on the website. It’s harder than it sounds—all the while they have to thwart the dastardly plans of the Anti-Alien Agency. With bumbling Agent Umber on the trail, a series of weirdo happenings circling around the bizarre Bob and Jennifer, and a chaotic kindergarten play, will Michael K. be able to save the day (and, more importantly, save the Earth from destruction)?
The zany story and awesome illustrations will be a blast for readers, and the book’s supplementary website (http://www.sphdz.com/) is jam-packed with extra goodies from the author and illustrator. Remember…BE SPHDZ, save the world!
This review originally appeared on abookandahug.com
May 20, 2011
Only slightly closer to three point one four million and one kids committing to be spaceheadz, Michael K. is still trying to protect Jennifer and Bob from being discovered as aliens. Friends Venus and TJ know something is off with Jennifer and Bob, they just can't put their finger on it, until they witness a disturbance caused by the aliens.
The five friends help a class of kindergarteners stage a play about Little Red Riding Hood, making plans to get more spaceheadz and figure out the difference between a Spaceheadz hour and an Earth hour. The difference is one Spaceheadz hour is 700 Earth hours, which helps explain Jennifer and Bob’s behavior. They are only 5 Earth years old.
This second book was just as funny as the first. The continuing misadventures of Agent Umber trying to prove there are aliens among us and to clear his family name are funny even though you know he misinterprets almost everything. Longer than the first book, this was still an easy read. Great suggestion for an older reader who is reluctant or needs a quick, funny read as well as for younger readers who are great readers.
The five friends help a class of kindergarteners stage a play about Little Red Riding Hood, making plans to get more spaceheadz and figure out the difference between a Spaceheadz hour and an Earth hour. The difference is one Spaceheadz hour is 700 Earth hours, which helps explain Jennifer and Bob’s behavior. They are only 5 Earth years old.
This second book was just as funny as the first. The continuing misadventures of Agent Umber trying to prove there are aliens among us and to clear his family name are funny even though you know he misinterprets almost everything. Longer than the first book, this was still an easy read. Great suggestion for an older reader who is reluctant or needs a quick, funny read as well as for younger readers who are great readers.
March 14, 2013
My son loved this book. Dad & I enjoyed it. It was written for intelligent young people, so all those reviews I've read that pretty much hated it, well, every book is not for everyone. (And I am developing the perception that those who hate this book series take books WAY TOO SERIOUSLY and need to learn to laugh. There are lessons in laughing. Very scientific, serious ones.)
If you over-analyze commercials or even if you get their songs/jingles stuck in your head, you'll enjoy this book. I haven't figured out the plot quite yet, but that's a good part of the fun. As an adult, I would think that a children's book would be easy to figure out as the story goes along. But this series/ trilogy has enough complexity to keep any reader intrigued.
I'll give the caveat that anyone who hates the idea of aliens being quirky and loveable, please avoid this book series. Read something about Peru or Kentucky Blue Grass or the Audubon Society Field Guide instead.
If you over-analyze commercials or even if you get their songs/jingles stuck in your head, you'll enjoy this book. I haven't figured out the plot quite yet, but that's a good part of the fun. As an adult, I would think that a children's book would be easy to figure out as the story goes along. But this series/ trilogy has enough complexity to keep any reader intrigued.
I'll give the caveat that anyone who hates the idea of aliens being quirky and loveable, please avoid this book series. Read something about Peru or Kentucky Blue Grass or the Audubon Society Field Guide instead.
July 7, 2011
Michael K. is having an interesting Grade 5 year. He has started at a new school and was immediately teamed up with two other new students. To say they are a little wierd would be an understatement. They are, in fact, aliens who have been sent to earth to prevent our destruction, and they have recruited Michael K. to help.
In book two, Micheal has recruited his friends TJ and Venus to help him with the project. They agree to do this, while dealing with a kindergarten play and advancing AAA agents. Can they hit the target set by the aliens to avoid destruction?
Jon Scieszka is in prime silly form with this book. His prime audience, primary boys, will love the silliness of this book. Scieszka has also laid out the threads for the plot continuing in a third book. Fun for the late primary/early junior reader in your life.
In book two, Micheal has recruited his friends TJ and Venus to help him with the project. They agree to do this, while dealing with a kindergarten play and advancing AAA agents. Can they hit the target set by the aliens to avoid destruction?
Jon Scieszka is in prime silly form with this book. His prime audience, primary boys, will love the silliness of this book. Scieszka has also laid out the threads for the plot continuing in a third book. Fun for the late primary/early junior reader in your life.
July 5, 2017
Michael K and the Spaceheadz (Ben and Jennifer) must get 500,001 people to become Spaceheadz or the earth will "Switch off". But finally, Michael K has some help from his web savvy classmates: Venus and TJ. It's not easy ... especially when they find out that in "earth years", Ben and Jennifer are only 5 years old (YIKES! Kindergartners!) And, of course, Agent Umber of the AAA is still on the look out for Spaceheadz. And, in the meantime, some company called "DarkWave X" has hired Dad K to develop an advertising jingle ... even though they won't tell him what their company does. And Mom K has a new project with the ZIA: tracking unusual patterns in other agencies, including the AAA. But perhaps scariest of all: Michael K's class has to perform a play with their kindergarten buddies. Horror of horrors!
Funny stuff!
Funny stuff!
February 5, 2016
More laughs care of our buddy Jon Scieszka and those three wacky aliens. The second installment of the Spaceheadz series brings the laughs and gives some additional information that helps to explain Bob, Jennifer and Fluffy's mission (and weirdness!). My son and I read this together, and continued to giggle away at the silliness. We used the online resources and fun a bit more this time around, especially LOVING Fluffy's Translator-- those provide some of the best lines of the entire book!!
January 17, 2011
Good follow up to the first book. Perfect for readers who love series books. Good mix of text and illustrations to break up pages. One that will not be sitting on my shelves at the library for long.
January 30, 2011
Maybe not quite as good as the first book, but still fabulous. I love Major Fluffy and the idea of Spaceheadz kindergartners. I read this one in a bookstore, laughing out loud at a lot of the situations and illustrations. Keep them coming!
May 25, 2011
considering I didn't read the first book I was a tad lost at first. the kids should like it. It was the first book I read on an e-reader. My library bought 2 Nooks and 2 Kindles for us to learn on and to lend out. Sphdz #2 was on the Kindle.
November 1, 2017
Michael K, Bob, Jennifer and Major Fluffy have to find a way to recruit over a million people to be spaceheadz so the earth doesn’t get shut off. They work together on a new website, slogans and videos and try not to get caught by Anti Alien Agency - Agent Umber
December 31, 2019
I am reading this book series with my nine-year old grandson and he thinks it’s great. This author has a wonderful grasp of not only entertaining but teaching as well in his writing. I think the books are a wonder and my grandson can’t wait to start book three!
June 11, 2011
Humorous, adventurous story about Michael K. Venus, and TJ trying to get 3.14 million and one spaceheadz within the next 700 hours or earth will end. Some fun, clean humor and lots of wacky events.
January 3, 2011
Good follow up to first book. Not earth shaking, follows formula. Did learn more about main characters family. Setting up for future plot.
May 2, 2011
Will make kids laugh out loud just as much as the first book.
September 12, 2011
I was a great book. It wasn't what I expected, in a good way.
April 9, 2016
I can't say you'll survive AAAHHH1 And when I read this I began too explode! On a bout! I am dead now, I can't believe they got me now! I don't want to die insode myself. I will Die!
August 16, 2012
This is such a clever series with such a fun concept. I love this 2nd book in the series. They are so funny and well written. I wish I had the time to read the whole series. Such fun books!
March 14, 2012
Loooooved it I really like SPHDZ! Go SPHDZ!!!!!
March 25, 2012
I did not read the first book, so I was very lost.
October 4, 2012
i like it was ok
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December 18, 2012awssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmme
February 17, 2013
Such an easy-reader. I love these kind of books.
December 11, 2014
Just as cute as the first book in the series. This book will have you laughing the entire time.
January 26, 2016
Kids who like off-the-wall reading will like this. Even hesitant readers will like the black ink drawings and short chapters and side bars.
November 11, 2016
Cute read. Can't wait to see what happens in the next one
October 12, 2021
It was good, though it could have been better.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews