of course, it also spawns more ire from Arnie directed towards Rod. Grakker, being an alien and not a toy, returns to Rod's desk while the class is at lunch, and being hungry himself, eats Rod's math homework - which spawns the title of the book. Mistaking them for toys, Arnie appropriates Grakker as his own. Once at school, Rod runs into trouble with Arnie and Billy again, as Arnie spots the aliens Rod is carrying in his backpack. Why Rod's school? Because in a massive coincidence, it turns out that the BKR, the criminal they are pursuing, is someone Rod knows. But when this doesn't work, Rod finds himself acting as an involuntary depurty again as part of the Ferkel's crew set about repairing the ship while Rod and the rest - Grakker, Madam Pong, and the ship's mental officer Snout, set off for Rod's school to try to get information about the criminal they are pursuing. Rod also finds himself involuntarily accorded the status of deputy and ordered to assist the crew of the Ferkel in their efforts to apprehend the fugitive.Īfter meeting the rest of the ship's crew, breaking regulations, and watching helplessly while the aliens carve up his volcano for fuel and food, Rod carries the Ferkel to a nearby field in order to allow the crew to use their size-altering technology to return the ship (and its crew) to their normal size. Rod learns that his unexpected guests are members of the Galactic Patrol on the trail of an interstellar criminal. Once the Ferkel's diplomatic officer Madame Pong shows up, things get a little less tense. After running afoul of Grakker, the ship's irritable two-inch tall captain, Rod isn't quite so lucky, getting a tiny hole in his ear.

Having a spaceship crash through your bedroom window sounds pretty catastrophic, but in the case of the Ferkel, the ship is only two feet across, so other than a broken window and a crushed paper mache volcano, Rod's bedroom is mostly unscathed.

And then an alien ship crashes through his bedroom window, destroying his science project and handing him a whole collection of decidedly atypical troubles. His single mother is overstretched in her commitments, meaning that he has the responsibility of watching his younger twin siblings Little Thing One and Little Thing Two. He is bullied by the class bullies Billy Becker and Arnie Markle. He's overweight and clumsy, leading to his nickname 'Rod the Clod'. Then the aliens show up.įull review: Rod Albright is a kid with the typical troubles that afflict a lot of kids. Short review: Rod Albright is a nerdy clumsy kid afflicted by bullies.

Aliens Ate My Homework by Bruce Coville