Amazon Betty Dravis Books Category:  Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Just My Best Publishing ISBN-10:  1932586296 Type: Fiction Pages: 164 Copyright: June 15, 2005 ISBN-13: 9781932586299 Beware, citizens of Silicon Valley--the bad Toonies are on their way. Led by the evil ape-bird, Dab, the Mischief-Makers have escaped from Computer Cartoon Land. They are skulking in the shadows, ready to pounce. Dab will do anything to stay in the real world, so makes plans to take over Orange Computer, then Grape Computer, Banana ... and then the world. Thanks to Uncle Wom (Wise Old Man and leader of Cartoon Land), the good TOONIES aren't far behind. Uncle Wom and a cartoon teen, Doog, have come to help Jeremy Kern, a young newspaper cartoonist––the only human who can save Silicon Valley. Steve "The Woz" Wozniak, co-founder of Orange Computer, gets involved when the bad Toonies take over the supply building at Orange headquarters. This is a story of good versus evil ... Doog versus Dab. When cartoon characters escape from a Silicon Valley boy's computer, the evil Toonies take over Orange Computer Co. It's up to the good Toonies, aided by the boy, his parents and the good Toonies to save the Valley and capture the bad Toonies. They enlist the aid of Steve "The Woz" Wozniak, real-life co-founder of Apple Computer, to help save the Valley. Wozniak graciously gave author Betty Dravis permission to use him as a character in this book. She says Wozniak's "cameo" appearance in TOONIES greatly enhanced her pleasure in writing it. TOONIES is the first in a series; the author is currently working on THE TOONIES INVADE NEW YORK. Excerpt Jeremy was pleased with all the attention his cartoon strip was bringing him, but his parents' arguments were really getting him down, making it almost impossible to be creative. How could he think straight when his life was such a mess? That had to be why he was imagining things now. How else could he explain the twelve-inch Toonie with the bushy red eyebrows that was standing beside his computer? - page two

A Unique Novel for All Ages
Like many towns, Silicon Valley is a place where nothing exciting happens. At least most of the time. So when a group of bandit Toonies, led by an ape-bird named Dab, decide to invade Silicon Valley, the residents are quite surprised. The so-called Toonies have escaped from Computer Cartoon Land, and are ready to pounce on anything that catches their eye. Dab, however, has other plans. He refuses to leave the real world, and has evil plans to take over Grape Computer, Orange Computer, and, eventually, the entire world. But Dab's plans will soon be destroyed, for Uncle Wom - short for Wise Old Man, who happens to be the leader of Cartoon Land - along with the good Toonies are hot on the trail of the baddies. Together, Uncle Wom, a cartoon teen named Doog, and a human newspaper cartoonist named Jeremy Kern, will work alongside one another to stop the bad Toonies, and save Silicon Valley.

I have heard a lot about THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY, so I finally decided to give it a read. I was quite mesmerized by the fact that the plot of the story was so original and unique, and truly held my interest from beginning to end. The characters found within the pages are smart, funny, and quite entertaining, and each possess their own quirks, making them enjoyable to learn more about. Betty Dravis has done a marvelous job on this novel, and I look forward to reading more from her in the future. With her fabulous imagination, Dravis obviously has the potential to become one of the great children's authors of our time.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper


A great science-fiction fantasy story for kids of all ages
Reviewed for TEENS READ TOO, by Jennifer Wardrip/aks: The Genius/owner

In this charming story of good versus evil, author Betty Dravis introduces us to the Toonies. Small beings who live in Cartoon Land, the world inside of our computers, the Toonies, like humans, come in good and bad form. Although some of them look a lot like us, others, such as the Mischief-Makers, resemble ape-like birds. But I bet you're wondering what the heck Toonies have to do with Silicon Valley, aren't you?

Thirteen-year-old Jeremy Kern is a young cartoonist/illustrator with his own very popular cartoon, "Doog Days." Absolutely enamored with his Apple computer, nicknamed "Wiseguy," Jeremy spends a lot of his time creating and updating the characters involved in his "Doog Days" cartoon. The world of the Toonies provides a reprieve for Jeremy, since his parents seem to be constantly arguing ever since his dad lost his job.

But the day Doog, the main character from his cartoon, jumps out of his computer and enters Jeremy's real life is a little bit beyond imagination. Doog is on a mission, though, and he won't quit until he convinces Jeremy that the world he has created is more than just fiction.

It seems that, in Cartoon Land, there's a Mischief-Maker named Dab who will do anything to stay in the real world. He plans to take over all of the computers he can -- hoping, one day, to even take over the world. But Doog, working under the guidance of the leader of Cartoon Land, Uncle Wom, is on a quest to stop Dab and his fellow Mischief-Makers before bad things start to happen in the real world. Along with his fellow Toonies, they need Jeremy's help, and his expertise, to stop Dab.

This is a great science-fiction fantasy story for kids of all ages, or for those who are young at heart. Although the story of good versus evil has been told thousands of time, it's never been told quite like this. You'll appreciate Ms. Dravis' insight into the behind-the-scenes workings of a young teenager's mind, and laugh-out-loud at the humorous scenarios her humans and Toonies find themselves in. This story is a real winner!

Reviewed by: TEENS READ TOO, Jennifer Wardrip, aka "The Genius" - owner

A MUST for libraries and homes throughout the country
Reviewed for MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW, by Christy Tillery French "author, The Bodyguard... (Powell, TN)

Young cartoonist Jeremy Kern is having a hard time dealing with his parents' constant quarrels since his father lost his job. When Doog (good spelled backward), one of Jeremy's cartoon characters, jumps out of the computer, Jeremy thinks he's gone crazy. But Doog convinces Jeremy he's for real, along with other Toonies from Cartoon Land, with its yellow sky, two blue moons and bright red stars. Doog, who hopes to help Jeremy deal with his angst over his parents, is soon joined by Uncle Wom (short for wise, old man), ruler of Cartoon Land. Uncle Wom warns Jeremy about the Mischief Makers, ape-like birds controlled by an evil tyrant named Dab (bad spelled backwards), who would love nothing more than to escape Cartoon Land and take over the world. Fearful that Dab will find a way out of the computer, Uncle Wom warns Jeremy to turn his computer off when he is not using it. Before Jeremy can tell his parents about these fantastic creatures, Jeremy's father inadvertently allows Dab to escape the computer, and before long, Dab has his own battle troops gathered around and ready for action. The humanoids, as the cartoon characters call them, aided by Doog and Uncle Wom, quickly engage in a frantic race to find Dab and his mischief makers before they can wreak havoc on the world.

With creative wizardry, Betty Dravis has written an excellent story here; one that will be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Packed with intriguing characters, vivid visual imagery, an exciting and suspenseful plot, morality issues relayed in a sensitive and subtle manner, and brilliant illustrations, THE TOONIES INVADE SILICON VALLEY is one book this reader thoroughly enjoyed and would love to see in libraries and homes throughout the country. A must-read and highly recommended.