How to Tame a Human Tornado continues The Genius Series brilliance

When does a children’s fiction book transcend to a non-fiction book that anyone in middle school or older can enjoy? I don’t know, but The Genius Factor series from Paul Tobin is coming precariously close to doing all of that. How to Tame A Human Tornado is the third book is the series about seventh-grader Nate Bannister, his friend-who is definitely not his girlfriend Delphine, Bosper the talking dog and a mysterious sect of people that like tea who are out to kill him.

The first book How to Capture an Invisible Cat was a great start to the series. How to Outsmart a Billion Robot Bees was the second book and improved upon the characters and storytelling. How to Tame a Human Tornado continues this fabulous series and doesn’t disappoint in the slightest; which is quite rare for a series of books to continually keep improving upon their predecessors.

Bannister is a genius. He’s so smart that he intentionally causes chaos on Friday the 13^th. He’s also rich, really rich, but not rich in a Riche Rich way. Nate just tries to blend in the best that he can, being a genius kid inventor, who happens to have a car that can fly, submerge under water and talk, with sass nonetheless.

How to Tame a Human Tornado takes place on Friday the 13^th and Nate has intentionally left some things around town. These things can allow people to do things or have things done to them, like turning them into zebras or allow them to run a supersonic speeds-without the ability to stop.

Again, Nate doesn’t leave these things around town in a cruel manner. Rather, he does so just to shake things up and present a challenge, as well as, a day of puzzle solving problems for him and Delphine. One seemingly uncontrollable variable is the Red Tea Death Society. They have a pleasant name, but are out to do unpleasant things to Nate and anyone who’s associated with him.

What makes How To Tame a Human Tornado succeed is the pace of the book, combined with its creativity. Seemingly every three pages they’re presented with an absurd, impossible situation, like their family members turning into zebras, being chased by rubber robots or encountering so many toads that they’re being buried. They handle each of these situations and more with wit, friendship and STEM based science that readers are left wondering what’s possible and impossible.

Fans of the first two books will love this book and enjoy the more action-centric last half. The Red Tea Death Society has built a base at the bottom of a lake. In my mind I kept paralleling it to Moonraker and thinking that a ‘Jaws’ type character was around each corner. For the record that didn’t happen. But that’s about the only thing that didn’t happen and the ‘human tornado’ that’s referenced in the title keeps coming around like Hailie’s Comet, until the very satisfying conclusion.

The Genius Factor Series is one that my wife and I look forward to each year. Middle school kids will be able to read it, follow along with the adventures and identify with the ‘definitely not a boyfriend’ vibe that’s happening between Nate and Delphine. How to Tame a Human Tornado is kidlit, but it crosses up to where it’s also great reading for anyone who wants a great ride.