Bongo Fishing
Middle Grade book for ages 8-12
Thacher Hurd’s new middle grade novel, Bongo Fishing, is a warm and funny story about friendly aliens, old cars, crazy gadgets and a wild chase across the Nevada desert near Area 51. Jason Jameson's life will never be the same after he meets Sam and Edna from the Pleiades. Not to mention a weird psychiatrist named Dr. Zimburger who is interested in UFOs, and a cat named Sputnik who gets the blue measles...
“I was right! This IS my kind of book!” — Daniel Pinkwater
Bongo Fishing trailer:
Thacher Hurd interview about Bongo Fishing:
Thacher reads a short excerpt from Bongo Fishing:
Thacher reads a longer excerpt from Bongo Fishing:
Reviews in Brief
“…adventures ensue in author-illustrator Hurd’s amiable sci-fi novel. Along with a handful of other illustrative debris throughout, small-sized digital artwork opens each chapter...long in zaniness, and Sam and Edna are definitely keepers.” — Michael Cart in Booklist
“Hurd's b&w illustrations (including a mock photo of "Rosie's Desert Café and Hair Salon"), a galactic road trip, and bountiful silliness suggest a pleasing mashup of Daniel Pinkwater and The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.” — Publisher’s Weekly online
“Intriguing gadgets and amusing descriptions of alien technology add to the fun, as do the lively illustrations.” — School Library Journal
“As if life in Berkeley, CA isn''t colorful enough, a whole new dimension is added when Jason meets up with Sam, a blue skinned alien with purple high top sneakers in a lime green Dodge Dart. The ensuing excursion, that is as big on heart as it is on humor, expands one's imagination and perception of outer space through unexpected experiences. Encounters with Bongo Fish, the search for Elvis, and vivid descriptions of cosmic cuisine will leave readers with an appetite for more adventures with this stellar cast of characters. (And, as an added bonus, the illustrations are out of this world!)” — Starr LaTronica, Four County Library System, New York