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Publication Date: March 1, 2009 Publisher: Scholastic Author: · Laurie McElroy (Adapter) Related Sites: · Official Site · IMDb: iCarly Grade: B

Find out how the web phenomenon known as iCarly all began with iHave a Web Show!, the first book in a series of script adaptations of the hit Nickelodeon show. Carly (Miranda Cosgrove) lives with her older brother Spencer (Jerry Trainor) and has found a niche audience creating wacky web shows with BFF Sam (Jennette McCurdy) and lovelorn Freddie (Nathan Kress).  This 121-page book adapts the first two episodes of iCarly, revealing the thirteen-year-old's stumbled-upon origin and initial foray into webcasting.

Part One is based on the episode, "iPilot," written by series creator and executive producer Dan Schneider. Carly's in the principal's office at Ridgeway School and it's all Sam's fault. But she takes the fall for her best friend's creative interspecies Photoshopping and teacher Miss Briggs, star of the defaced flyers plastered all over school, rewards her with detention on Saturday. This involves judging entrants for the school talent show, and Carly drafts Sam to participate in her punishment, whether she likes it or not.

Tech-savvy Freddie, Carly's neighbor with the not-so-secret crush on her, sets up the video camera for the auditions, but when the action gets boring, he trains the lens on the two judges who are alternately sleeping and cracking jokes throughout the different acts.  Freddie uploads the film for Miss Briggs to watch, only it's not the footage he thought it was.

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     "Why did you film us at the auditions today?" she asked.
     "Oh, because you guys were being funny," Freddie answered.
     "Well, you shouldn't have put us online without our permission!" Sam said.
     "I didn't! I edited you guys out before I uploaded the auditions," Freddie explained.
     "No, you did the opposite of that!" Carly told him.
     "What?" Freddie started typing on Carly's computer. He knew he had edited the girls out of the video footage. He was sure of it. "There's no way I --"
     Freddie stopped protesting when he saw Carly and Sam laughing behind the audition table. He had screwed up -- big time. "Uh-oh."
     "Yeah," Sam agreed.

---

The thing is, before Freddie can get the video removed, a torrent of positive comments start pouring in, clamoring for more. Naturally, vengeful Miss Briggs saw the video and spitefully refuses to include any of the girls' recommendations for the talent show.  The trio get the idea to create their own venue where they can showcases all the cool and oddball talents that won't be included in the school's program.  iCarly is born.

Book #2: iWanna Stay! adapts the episodes, "iSpy a Mean Teacher" and "iWanna Stay with Spencer"	iCarly on DVD - Season 1, Vol. 1
Book #3: iWant a World Record! adapts the episodes, "iWant a World Record" and "iGot Detention"	iCarly on DVD - Season 1, Vol. 2
Book #4: iAm Famous! adapts the episodes, "iPromote Tech-Foots" and "iCarly Saves TV"	iCarly on DVD - Season 2, Vol. 1

Their new endeavor is a hit, and that means a crazy hat party in celebration. A couple of girls ask for Carly's autograph, and she's not sure she's comfortable with this new popularity.  That is, until two cute guys profess to be fans, and ask her and Sam to dance.  Fame might not be so bad after all.

Part Two is based on the episode, "iWant More Viewers" (Written by Steve Holland & Steven Molaro).  It's the third show of iCarly but their viewership has stagnated, even after the introduction of "Messin' with Lewbert." The new segment follows the doorman for the building in which Carly, Spencer, and Freddie live, capturing his humongous wart and mean attitude for all to see. It ends with a prank, in this case an airhorn-assisted phone call to the despicable doorman.

While brainstorming to attract more viewers -- interspersed with Carly spritzing Sam and Freddie from a spray bottle like a misbehaving cat to cease their arguing -- they come up with a challenge. Teaming up, Freddie and Spencer, and Carly and Sam will come up with their own idea for luring viewers, and the losers will have to touch Lewbert's wart. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwww!!

Carly and Sam create a giant banner that they hope to hold up in front of the big window looking in on the popular Seattle Beat (ala The Today Show, where a crowd gathers outside to look in on the show as it airs).  But, Seattle being Seattle, it rains and their handiwork is washed away in a colorful Magic Marker mess.

Fortunately, Spencer and Freddie have a backup plan.  During the next episode of iCarly, after a viewer inquiry is answered -- can you drink spaghetti and meatballs? -- the hosts go to a live feed of Spencer located at a downtown Seattle on-ramp. He turns on an enormous sign with bright lights that spells out PLEASE GO ONLINE TO iCARLY.COM.

Soon, the sound of screeching tires, crunching metal and honking horns can be heard. The advertising is too much of a distraction for traffic.  Spencer hurriedly tries turning off the sign, overloading circuits. A few of the lights pop back on... spelling out a rude message. The sound of approaching police sirens can be heard over the cacophony.

The mishap draws great comments and more viewers, reaching the goal of the whole exercise, though not the way they intended.  And the best part?  There are no losers that have to pinch the positively unpleasant protuberance of the perfidious Lewbert.

iCarly taps into a common childhood fantasy of using visual media to creatively express yourself, to be the star of the show.  I mined my fertile imagination to film "The Empty House" (and its sequel), a horror short film (on Beta!) with my siblings utilizing such special effects as flashlights in the dark, and lying on the floor below camera level to slam a door closed to give the illusion of unseen forces at work.  It was quite an empowering experience, and one you'll share with the characters of this youth-oriented television series.

We've come a long way from the nuclear family depicted on TV, but iCarly takes it a step further.  Not content with merely a single parent household, the premise includes no parents in the scenario. Twenty-six year old Spencer is legal guardian of Carly while their parents remain unseen on military assignment. Additionally, virtually all adults are rendered as idiots and/or bent on imposing ridiculous requirements on anyone in their sphere of influence, causing the teens to naturally rebel against such flawed authority figures.  I understand the show is aimed at kids, but responsible adults certainly are a rarity on iCarly, at least in these first couple of episodes.

iHave a Web Show! is adapted by Laurie McElroy, a familiar contributor to Young Adult readers, writing Nightmare on Hannah Street and True Blue for the Hannah Montana junior novel series. Through no fault of the author, the comic chemistry doesn't exactly translate from screen to the written word. Here, Sam just seems like an annoying punk. Included in the center of the book is an 8-page color section featuring stills from the adapted episodes. There are no captions on any of these pictures, so recalling the context will be up to your imagination.