Toby Harbinger is a student in grade eight at Hubble Middle School, near Washington D.C. He is in need of money because he sold something belonging to his dad to buy a computer, and now the person he sold it to is claiming that it is a fake, and he wants his money back. Toby is determined to win the school science fair because the prize money is $5 000, and that would solve his problem. However, things get complicated when he stumbles upon a group of students who are also wanting to win the science fair, whom Toby suspects of cheating. In order to win, they are getting some serious, high-powered help. What the cheaters don't know is that they are being used by an evil mastermind with an even more fiendish plot then their own.
This was a fun book to read due to the humor found throughout the pages. It is a thriller with some suspense, but the humor makes some of the far fetched sections seem more believable. My favourite scene is when Toby is trapped in the Science Nook with the laser owl. I think the humor of Dave Barry, combined with the adventure and quickly moving plot of Ridley Pearson make this an enjoyable read for boys in grade 5 - 7. ( )