Clever Trevor's stupendous inventions by Andrew Weldon

Puffin, 2016. ISBN 9780143309154
Clever Trevor's name is not really Trevor. It's Stuart. But nothing rhymes with 'Stuart' and because he is so clever - he invented and built the Rabbit Brain Booster out of his dad's old computer and a car battery - his friends have renamed him Trevor. But for all his cleverness Trevor was still failing at school, especially this year with Mr Schmedric. Nothing Trevor submitted for his assignments met Mr Schmedric's expectations - but then Mr Schmedric was one of those teachers who thought there was only one way to do anything. He won't accept Trevor's inventions as acceptable solutions for assignments and bullies him mercilessly. He is the epitome of a nightmare teacher - and thankfully one that no student will ever meet.
So you can imagine Trevor's shock when he discovers that Mr Schmedric is not only confiscating his projects but he was selling them... and making a lot of money, which he makes sure Trevor knows about. So Trevor and his friends hatch a plot to get their own back, but Mr Schmedric is smarter than they give him credit for. When he threatens to make Stuart repeat his class next year, they have to come up with a new plan...
This is another very funny book-length cartoon from the talented Andrew Weldon. We first met Clever Trevor as a friend of Steven, in The Kid with the amazing head, and now he comes into his own. It is an engaging tale which brings up all sorts of issues about the ethical use of information and ideas as well as the concept of power. Can authority be misused? Is it possible for the underdog to win? Can brains overcome brawn?
Younger readers, particularly the boys and those who are reluctant readers, will enjoy this story in its very accessible format and will be eagerly awaiting a new adventure from this talented creator. And in the meantime they can use the makerspace to create their own great invention!
Barbara Braxton