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Alien in the Bottle
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Plot Summary of Alien in the Bottle
"

HarperCollins, Mar 2004, 15.99, 208 pp.
ISBN: 0060292814

Middle-school student Sean dreams of becoming a glass artist so he is always picking up odd looking glass. He finds a bottle that turns out to be the damaged spacecraft of interstellar junk yard dealer and con artist Tagg Orion. Inside the bottle is much greater than the outside container.

Sean sees his amazing find as an opportunity to become closer with the girl of his dreams, stargazing classmate Olivia. However, Sean's stellar find turns nasty as Dinn Tauro comes after Tagg for selling him a non-detachable Dream Ring that animates cretins previously residing in nightmares. Now Sean and Olivia are caught in the middle between an irate customer and a con artist junk dealer.

Aimed for an upper elementary school audience, ALIEN IN THE BOTTLE is a fabulous fantasy tale that adults will enjoy too especially those who remember Krypton's Kander. The story line is fast-paced with wonderful fight scenes including classic food fights and skirmishes with gorilla sized rodents. However, the key to this wonderful story is the lead human duet that learns the importance of friendship while struggling to resolve an intergalactic mess.

Harriet Klausner

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Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar



Review Analysis of Alien in the Bottle
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy story on current Earth
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - two lovers coping with tough mission
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - magical artifact
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - student
Age: - a teen
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male Alien
Profession/status: - small businessman
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Earth setting: - current (early 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - none/very little science jargon needed
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Alien in the Bottle
Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
Skull Of Truth by Bruce Coville
The Grey King by Susan Cooper
The Obsidian Quest by Laraine Anne Barker
The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni


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Kathy Mackel Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Harriet Klausner  

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