After a brief moment of popularity, seventh-grade scientist Howard Boward is again the class nerd, ignored by the cool kids but unfortunately not the bullies. Oh well, at least he s still the smartest kid in school or is he? Lately, that title has been challenged by Gerald G-Force Forster, an electronics whiz whose entry in the annual robot-building contest just might put him over the top. Naturally, Howard can t let that happen. The only problem is he has no idea how to build a robot of his own. In desperation, Howard takes a forbidden shortcut: he uses a secret monster-goo with transformational powers that are as dangerous as they are unbelievable. Of course, he s thrilled when the goo becomes a perfect, fully functional robot just in time for the contest. But now it won t stop multiplying Soon, Howard has more monster-bots than he can handle and worse, they ve taken on a life of their own
Meanwhile, the Winter Formal is approaching and Howard can only watch as his classmates turn into mindless, dance-crazed prombies. He s determined to keep them from getting a glimpse of the breathtakingly weird moves that he calls dancing moves that could destroy his social life once and for all. But can he hide them now that Winnie McKinney seems set on dragging him out onto the dancefloor?
Then there s Trevor Duke, a new kid at school who never talks, secretly signals an unknown person outside the school, and exhibits what Reynolds Pipkin calls suspicious behavior. Is it possible Trevor could be a spy for another country or even another planet?
The gang from Dolley Madison Middle School is back in the second Howard Boward adventure, How to Lose Friends and Monster Bots. The follow-up to How to Make Friends and Monsters finds the 12-year-old inventor dealing with his family, his teachers, his classmates and the dreaded abominable snow wedgie. It s a humor-filled thrill ride that reminds readers to appreciate their friends and beware of robots "
