The Human Kaboom - by Adam Rubin

Book Synopsis

The author of the #1 New York Times bestsellers Dragons Love Tacos and The Ice Cream Machine returns with another hilarious, irresistible collection of six totally different stories with the same exact name.

Adam Rubin is back with this companion to The Ice Cream Machine, inviting you into six thrilling new worlds filled with daring and danger, mystery and mayhem--not to mention explosions! In a swanky New York City hotel, a reclusive guest appears to have spontaneously combusted. On a school field trip to a human anatomy museum in space, two kids try to pull off the greatest prank in history. Somewhere on a deserted island, three siblings try to make a life for themselves after the rest of the planet has been decimated by gigantic rock monsters. And then there's the small, quaint fishing town where a boy visiting his sister stumbles across an ancient curse; the traveling circus where a young girl becomes the assistant to a death-defying human cannonball; and the rugged wilderness where one kid with superpowers just can't seem to find some peace.

Each story is illustrated by a different artist, including Marta Altés, Daniel Gray-Barnett, Rodolfo Montalvo, Daniel Salmieri, Adam de Souza, and Gracey Zhang, with black-and-white artwork that practically explodes off the page. So put on a helmet and hang on tight, because this unpredictable book will blow you away!

And exclusive to the paperback, you'll also find six more stories inspired by The Human Kaboom, written by kids like you and hand-picked by Adam Rubin himself!

Review Quotes

Praise for The Human Kaboom

A New York Times Bestseller
A Read With Jenna Jr. Pick

* "Explosively eclectic . . . While shared humor and a propensity for the outlandish tie the stories together on some stylistic levels, the varying approaches to the [titular] prompt also share an unexpectedly raw depth." --The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Rubin, a humorist with a flair for explosive prose and side-splitting gags, is in good form here: All the stories boast laughs, smart characterization, clever plotting, and explosive incidents . . . The gags are plentiful, the action is exciting, and the variety is commendable . . . Impossible to resist." --Kirkus Reviews

"More than enough entertainment value to light the fuses of readerly--as well as writerly--readers." --Booklist

"A wild and wacky follow-up . . . There's something for everyone." --TIME for Kids

"You simply can't go wrong with this hilarious anthology." --Girls' Life

"An exciting read filled with variety." --TODAY.com

About the Author

Adam Rubin is the author of the middle-grade story collection The Ice Cream Machine, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, a #1 Indie bestseller, and called "as delicious as a multilayer sundae" by Parents magazine. He has also written a dozen critically acclaimed picture books, which have sold more than five million copies combined. They include Dragons Love Tacos, Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel, High Five, Gladys the Magic Chicken, Secret Pizza Party, Robo-Sauce, the Those Darn Squirrels trilogy, and El Chupacabras, which won the Texas Bluebonnet Award. You can visit Adam at adamrubinhasawebsite.com