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The Atomic Kid
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Added: 05/25/2004
Type: Summary
Viewed: 420 time(s)
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The Atomic Kid
On first meeting John Smith, the thirteen year old at the heart of George Parker’s new book, The Atomic Kid—Adventures in the Antiworld, (www.TheAtomicKid.com), he is the antithesis of a hero. Stepping tentatively onto the threshold of adolescence, he discovers that evil is brewing at the heart of his high school, and he is the only one with the eyes to see it.
"I’ve always thought childhood was like an idyllic cruise on a luxury liner across a tranquil ocean," says Parker, an author from California, "but when we cross that imaginary dateline into the teenage years, it’s akin to being thrown overboard into a raging sea of uncertainty."
For parents who like to see their children read but are concerned about the conclusions drawn from today’s current crop of bestsellers that promote a reliance on nefarious magic, Parker’s book is a refreshing alternative. It has an abundance of action, adventure, and humor, a basis in science that suspends disbelief, and a metaphysical aspect that promotes concise thought as a vehicle for change and individual evolution.
Parker’s tale includes an emotionally corrupt and morally bankrupt villain, Dr. Kurt Angstrom. He is the adult we must all guard against becoming, a megalomaniac so consumed with his own childhood pain that he wishes to become omnipotent, enslave the world and mete out his own twisted brand of justice so that everyone can experience his self-inflicted malaise.
To this end, he employs the brilliant mind of his half brother, Dr. Aaron Leitz, a physicist who uses his scientific genius to replicate the alchemist’s famed Stone of Knowledge: a substance that promises immortality and the ability to make gold from base metal. Upon the inauguration of this machinery, however, John Smith is inadvertently blown into the Antiworld by its powerful atomic blast, and thus begins his transformation to superhero under the tutelage of the enigmatic Master of the Perfect Word.
To make his task more difficult, John is charged with saving the lives of two witty jocks, who have bullied him mercilessly at school, and the beautiful young girl he has a momentous crush on. All in all, The Atomic Kid is a very believable story, and the problems the young hero faces are human problems, which makes the book such a satisfying read.
Uniquely, and a first in publishing, the book is accompanied by a CD of pop music featuring songs based on its characters and situations. The theme song, "Superhero," is emblematic of every youngster’s hope to be all-powerful in every troublesome situation that presents itself in the process of growing up.
Growth embodies the uncertainty of change, and a book that urges kids to aspire to act like superheroes in the often shifting emotional terrain of high school life is a welcome literary addition in this age of cynicism and violence.
The book and the muisc are available from the website: www.theatomickid.com
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