The Misadventures of Millicent Madding #1: Bully-Be-Gone

By Brian Tacang

Book Overview

As an inventor, Millicent knows this formula by heart. But a series of failures -- like the Ever-Juicy Gum Enhancer Pellet (a bit too juicy) and the Retractable Ponytail Holder (a hairy mess) -- have left her a few beakers short on faith. Even Millicent's best friends in The Wunderkind Club are ready to give up on her inventions. Bully-Be-Gone, her latest creation, should be the breakthrough Millicent needs. After all, her formula for thwarting the enemies of overachievers everywhere is foolproof. Almost foolproof. Before long, Millicent has a disaster of monumental proportions on her hands. With only days to concoct an antidote, her friendships -- and her future as an inventor -- hang in the balance. Brian Tacang's debut novel takes readers on a wild ride through the fantastic town of Masonville, where eccentric scientists and burly librarians, long-lost circus performers and bullies abound, and where science and miracles sometimes collide.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060739118
• ISBN13: 9780060739119
• Release Date: January 2006
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.72 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Bully beware. Bully better take care. Though at heart she's a pearl she's a difficult girl, so bul

Walk into a library or a bookstore. Remove from your pocket a small stone. Close your eyes, spin around, and hurl the projectile any which way (making certain no one is standing around and that there isn't any delicate glass about). Now go see what book the stone hit. If you happened to be in the children's room, particularly in the fiction section, you probably had a pretty good chance of hitting something meaningful, depressing, or meaningful AND depressing. And let me tell you, there is no sure-fire method of turning a kid off of reading than making them read only books that fit into those two categories. As a children's librarian I've been reading a ton of children's books published in 2006 and I am SICK of books that aren't any fun. So when "The Misadventures of Millicent Madding" (adventure one = "Bully-Be-Gone") fell into my lap I didn't know what to think. The Amy Vangsgard cover art kind of turned me off. Clay is cool but not always appropriate for a fiction cover. Still, it sounded... fun. And I needed fun. I needed fun badly. So after reading this book cover to cover, I can say this of "Bully-Be-Gone". It is every bit as fun as the premise suggests and it is bound to be dearly beloved by scores of wide-eyed kidlets. All around amusing. If you are smart and attend school in some fashion, there is one fact of life you have to acknowledge. Bullies. They're everywhere. Well young Millicent Madding is smart, but she isn't resigned to a life of dodging this scourges of the public school hallways. She's just invented a whole new kind of face cream. It's called Bully-Be-Gone and it's supposed to affect your average bully's sense of smell, thereby repelling them. The problem is, Millicent's still new to this whole inventing game. She's had some bad luck in the past and her fellow members of The Wunderkind Club (a group of the smartest kids of Masonville) are wary of trusting this new invention. But try it they do and the results aren't exactly what Millicent thought they might be. Now Bully-Be-Gone is attracting love-struck bullies rather than repelling them and Millicent's in a fix. Add in her long-lost aunt trecking across the country in an ancient wedding gown, a tale of contortion and cooking, two parents lost in time, and an uncle who's hair color and hair style changes every day... well let's just say that the town of Masonville may never quite be the same again. Sometimes I can pinpoint a moment when a book has won me over. Often the book as a whole gains my love, but once in a great while there's a single defining turn of phrase or image. For me, a children's librarian, it was page 28. Sweet sweet page 28. On that page we meet the local town librarian, Miss Ogelvie. She simultaneously fulfills your normal librarian stereotypes (bespectacled, prudent, unmarried, etc.) and pounds them into dust. Consider this sentence: "Closer inspection revealed that Miss Ogelvie had, through years of lifing books, deve

Tacang's "Misadventures of Millicent Madding #1"- a great read

I am an avid book reader, and so I can be choosey. Though I had not heard of this book, when my relative gave it to me, I read it non-stop - it was that exciting, interesting, funny (in a way) and just plain great. You really, in a way, start to feel sorry for Millecent Madding and all her misadventures. And that's just in one book. The ending really leaves you wanting to know her next misadventure.Though it is targeted towards middle grade readers, I think anyone would still find it nice, as in the story's plot. I cannot wait untill the next book in the series comes out! Way to go, Brian! P.S.-I like the illustrations on the cover!

The Misadventures of Millicent Madding is Magnificent!

While Brian Tacang's debut book targets middle school readers, he has certainly captured the heart of this 40-something Wunderkind wannabe. This book isn't just for those who have ever had the misfortune of being bullied because they are a brain or artistically gifted. Young and old minds alike are engaged with the Wunderkind elite, and other wonderfully wacky characters in magical Masonville, as Millicent's latest invention wreaks havoc and the amnesiac Felicity tries to find her way home. The author takes the reader on a precarious, often hilarious, non-stop journey through a place that is imaginatively wrought with old-fashioned sentiment and modern day diversity. Adept descriptive narration, cleverness and momentum carry the reader to an ending that is warm and fuzzy--and especially inspiring to those of us who need a little courage to become more of who we are.

Not just for kids!

I found Millicent Madding to be funny yet poignant. A touch of suspense and great imaginative detail give the book a special flair. While I am sure kids will love it, I am over sixty years old, and I loved it, too!

Great book!

Although this book is intended to the age of 8-12, as an adult, I really enjoyed reading this book. It is incredibly creative, witty, and charming. I was also very impressed with the author's inventive mind. The book takes you into an imaginary world, which makes it difficult to put it down. I highly recommend this book to all ages.