Johnny B. Goode, Or Else!

In his first novel for young readers, Jeffrey Alan Schechter tells the wild story of Johnny B. Goode, the most average kid on the planet. In fact, he's so average that he's been selected by the Federation of Celestial Orbiters (F.O.C.O.) to be the perfect subject to test earth's worthiness for inclusion in their galactic organization. If Johnny passes every test earth will be welcomed as a member of the prestigious Federation. But if he fails even one test...well...earth becomes a Class Five slave planet.

If ever there was a kid that could blend into a crowd, Jonathan Benjamin Goode is that kid. Johnny is the most average kid in the world; solid 'B-' student in school, teachers often forget his name, he never makes an impression on anyone. That's all about to change. Halfway across the universe, the possible acceptance of Earth into the Federation Of Celestial Orbiters (F.O.C.O.) is discussed. F.O.C.O. is the governing body of planets; with alien ambassadors of all shapes and sizes meeting in an orbiting space station to work out their differences, share knowledge, and keep peace in the universe. Once a planet becomes civilized enough to be considered it must first be tested to see if the inhabitants would make good citizens of the universe. Earth is the next planet up for consideration. The only question is...are the inhabitants of Earth sufficiently evolved to be members of F.O.C.O.? In keeping with Federation policy, a representative of Earth is selected to undergo five tests to proves his "universanity" (as compared to "humanity"). If the earthling representative passes all five tests, earth will be admitted into the Federation. If the representative fails even one of the tests...Earth will be turned into a Class 5 slave planet; basically, stuck washing the boxer shorts of the universe until the sun burns out. In order to make the tests as fair as possible, the most average person on the planet is given the honor of representing the planet. Johnny B. Goode is chosen by F.O.C.O. as the world's most average person, and the Tests of Inclusion begin. Making things more complicated, Johnny is allowed to tell only one person about his exalted role as earth's representative. As it is explained to him, if too many people know what he's doing it will throw off the test results. Does Johnny tell his mother? His best friend? A trusted teacher? No! Johnny accidentally tells Amber Barnes, the most beautiful, perfect girl in school who is forced to become his reluctant ally. Together, Johnny and Amber must figure out how to pass each of the five tests to prove that our planet is ready for cosmic citizenship. Will they do it? The Earth's fate rests on the very average shoulders of Johnny B. Goode.

Jeffrey Alan Schechter was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, which explains his endearing personality. After moving to Los Angeles and not wanting to starve, he quickly established himself as a versatile writer, able to work in all genres from action films to family comedies, from pre-school to adult drama, from live action to animation. His writing has earned him a Gemini Award as well as nominations for two Emmy awards, a Writers Guild of America award, a Writer’s Guild of Canada award, and a BAFTA award. Over the years Jeff has worked with dozens of studios and networks including Warner Bros, Universal Pictures, ABC, NBC, The Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon, The Hallmark Channel, the BBC, VH1 Films, RHI, and The Walt Disney Company. Jeff is the author of a book on story structure titled My Story Can Beat Up Your Story! and is a noted speaker and lecturer on screenwriting. Jeff is married and has four children, one of whom may be an alien.