Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions
by Anthony D. Grate; Anthony J. Rapino
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Pub Date Oct 18 2022 | Archive Date Jan 15 2023
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Description
When life supplies eleven-year-old Tommy Grant with some unfavorable circumstances intruding on his otherwise tranquil life in Ohio, he retreats into the spell-binding Order of Cosmic Champions. When he discovers that the largely successful animated program and toy line is holding a nationwide "Create-A-Character" contest where applicants submit their action figure designs, Tommy knows he has to enter as surely as he knows his own name.
But when Tommy's character design fails to win the contest, he finds his world crumbling from all sides. And there is only one way he knows to fix it.
What follows is a whirlwind coming-of-age adventure of righting wrongs, overcoming perilous obstacles, confronting our inner demons, and challenging the limits of reality. In this waxing nostalgic and imaginative fantasy, readers will discover what excitement lies waiting when you take risks and conquer your fears. Only one question remains: In the final hour when you heed the call, the courage to give your all, will you stand or fall?
A Note From the Publisher
Advance Praise
"[Tommy] learns that sometimes you have to take chances . . . you can't let fear dominate you. And I think that's a great message, because that is the creed that I live by. I give Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions two thumbs up. I think it's a fantastical, exciting, and interesting read."
- Corey Feldman, American actor and singer best known for starring in The Goonies, Gremlins, and Stand By Me.
"These guys have done a great job putting this book together . . . it's really a fantastic story. It's a really wonderful adventure story, with great life lessons and themes."
- Anthony Michael Hall, American actor best known for his movies with John Hughes, which include the teen classics Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Weird Science.
" . . . any fans of the '80s out there . . . any fans of [The] Goonies and The NeverEnding Story . . . I think you're really going to like this book."
- Joey Lawrence, American actor, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer, and game show host. He is best known for his role as Joey Russo in Blossom and starring in Gimme A Break!
"It was so, so sweet. It was such a heartwarming story and very relatable to people of all ages. I just love how Tommy comes to so many realizations and grows and learns through his own imagination . . . or is it?"
- Nicole Eggert, American actor best known for her role as Jamie Powell on Charles in Charge and Summer Quinn on Baywatch.
"An earnest, entertaining tale of adolescence and fantasy fandom."
- Kirkus Reviews
"Anthony J. Rapino and Anthony D. Grate’s middle-grade novel, Tommy and the Order of Cosmic Champions, is a compassionate and powerful tale of a young boy coming of age."
- Reader's Favorite
"This exciting fantasy is filled with fun 8-bit era pop culture references, spot-on comic dialogue perfect for kids, and plenty of thought-provoking morals that will engage readers of all ages."
- Publishers Weekly/BookLife (Editor's Pick)
Marketing Plan
Trade and blog tour reviews, YouTube and podcast advertising and guest spots, social media outreach, convention promotions, etc.
Trade and blog tour reviews, YouTube and podcast advertising and guest spots, social media outreach, convention promotions, etc.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781626349667 |
| PRICE | $21.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 392 |
Links
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Donna M, Educator
I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it,and share my views.
Sometimes, when I read children's/MG/YA books, they hit differently than they might for a child. I think this is one of the times. Because, I suspect my Stranger Things obsessed students will read this book as Tommy going on his quest, in a strange, alternative universe where the OCC characters are real, that this all happened, and that Tommy managed to beat his personal demons. They'll read it as fantasy.
For me, this book was transportive. Because, you see, while I was aware of Master's of the Universe, She-Ra, and various comics. I spent a good part of the 1980's reading early YA. And many, many books in that time took a look at mental illness or drug abuse or similar experiences, with the character either being saved by an amazing person-a therapist, a teacher, or maybe friends...or dying. All of which I accepted, at the time, as being reality....although in 20/20 hindsight, they were just as fantastic as many of the comic books and TV shows that my parents discouraged.
And that's the world I found myself in during Tommy's tale. That this was an abused at school, bullied, neglected kid who had withdrawn from the world similar to Roger in "The Boy Who Could Make Himself Disappear", or Robbie in "Mazes and Monsters", having experiences similar to Alice in "Go Ask Alice". In many ways, it was a major relief when Tommy came back to reality, and his life improved-because based on 80's lit, it could go either way!
So, well done for seriously hitting the 1980's retro feel...and taking me back to those days in the school library, where I read books that, while not triggering the Satanic Panic fears (well done call back, BTW) the way Masters...I mean, OCC did, were seriously scary.
I think Stranger Things fans will enjoy this book, as will fans of 1980's fantasy animated TV shows and comics. But it might not be a bad idea for those who remember the 1980's firsthand to read it, too.
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