Britney Spears Is a Three-Headed Alien

For Liz Barlowe and her best friend Chad Carter, a chance to meet pop star Britney Spears would pretty much be the pinnacle of their adolescent careers. Unfortunately, before they get the chance, a spaceship lands in their Los Angeles neighborhood, and Britney is abducted by aliens. "Drama," as the dry-witted Liz likes to say. Liz and Chad take it upon themselves to save Britney--and the world--from the devious alien leader, Dr. Osco, a.k.a. Bridget, and her silver-suited henchmen. Ideally, of course, they'll also meet the cute blonde singer herself in the process, and maybe even get to hang with her. Or at least sing backup to "Oops!... I Did It Again." But saving the world (and Britney) is a lot harder than one might think. When aliens aren't controlling the minds of the youth of the world, leading them to rebel against the grownups ("We've labored under the oppressive thumbs of the adults long enough! Britney is our only friend!"), they're trying to chase Liz and Chad through space gates into other planets on the far side of the moon. But the two persevere, and ultimately prevail, although Liz isn't entirely satisfied with the outcome...

Mel Gilden's send-up of L.A., American teens, Hollywood, UFOs, and Britney Spears is just goofy enough to appeal to cynics, with enough pop culture references to be a draw for Britney fans as well. Unfortunately, it drags on a bit, although the alternating diary excerpts and narrative provide a nice balance. Entertaining fluff for those dry spells between new Britney albums. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter