KoKolumps, Burlap Crisp, Puftees. “There’s a little bit of magic in every box!” say Goodco Cereal Company’s commercials. Sound familiar? When you hear a cereal commercial on TV, you may get excited about a toy, sticker, or even a coupon in the cereal box… but actual magic? And who would ever guess that a cereal company (especially one named GoodCo) would be evil and plan on world domination? Scottish Play Doe, a.k.a. Scott, sees things, weird things. As if that weren't bad enough, he is the new kid in town. Scott, his mom, and his little sister Polly have just moved to Goodborough New Jersey, home of the GoodCo Cereal company factory where his mom just got a new job as a researcher. Scott has grown up seeing things his doctors call "hallucinations" that accompany blinding headaches… things like a uni-cat, unicorns, a weird-talking rabbit man, and a smallish man (dare we say leprechaun?) who tries to steal his backpack and is on the run from the GoodCo cereal company. How literal is Goodco’s motto "magic in every box?” Turns out this magic is actually being sucked from real magical creatures that only Scott can see. With Scott’s realization that his so-called hallucinations are actually real, his world has turned upside down. He finds friends and allies in Erno and Emily, twins who look nothing alike. Erno has dark brown curls while Emily has straight white blonde hair, the palest skin and . . . pink eyes. Erno and Emily have grown up in Goodborough and have had numerous foster fathers, all of whom worked for GoodCo. You could even say that the twins belong to GoodCo. There are strange happenings going on in this little cereal-town. Emily has dizzy spells which require her to put pink milk ear drops in her ears every morning, courtesy of GoodCo's "doctor;" there are strange white vans canvassing neighborhoods looking for magical escapees, and there is definitely a strange taste getting stronger and stranger in GoodCo's most popular cereal, Puftees. Scott, Erno, Emily, and Mick-the-leprechaun all come together to uncover Goodco's sinister plans--and try to take the first steps in saving the world from this evil cereal company. It’s one heck of ride and one you will most definitely enjoy… although a warning is in order: you may think twice about what exactly you're eating next time you scarf down a bowl of your favorite sugary, colorful, crunchy breakfast cereal! Review by Lizzy Healy
