Took forever for me to get to this uber-popular book. I can see the reason why it is such a large draw. Funny, smart and fast-paced with a clever plot you can't quite predict, it is an accessible page-turner which left me with a lot of smiles and an overall "good" feeling. Okay, it is a very obvious suck-up to librarians everywhere but there is enough real kid action to entice almost any reader. Mix a G-Rated "Hunger Games" with "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" and you have a book which is a bit of a romp. Our lead is Kyle Keeley, a typical 12 year old boy who acts first, thinks later and doesn't like to read. The thing is, Kyle is street-smart and he is kind. He just feels a little lost in the shadows of his two older brothers -- the jock and the brain. He ends up locked up in the town's new library with 11 other kids in a game-filled maze. With 24 hours to solve the riddles and tremendous prizes awaiting, Kyle must figure out how to solve the puzzles. This is, quite simply, a delightful book which will draw in almost any reader. Bravo to Mr. Grabenstein for his adorable book and library homage.
No comments:
Post a Comment