Book of Lost Things (2013)

The Book of Lost Things. (Mister Max #1). 2013. Random House. 400 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely liked The Book of Lost Things. Perhaps I didn't LOVE it as much as The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates, but, it was still a very good read. Mister Max is set in England at the turn of the twentieth century.

Max's parents are famous actors in the theatre. The novel opens with his parents receiving an invitation to go on a special tour. It seems a luxurious offer. Max's grandmother, a librarian, feels the offer is too good to be true. Though she's not allowed to look at the actual invitation or the tickets it contained. Max was to be included in the trip, but, he was to meet his parents at the ship before it departed. When he arrives, quite on time, his parents are gone, the ship has gone too. Or so it appears. In truth, the invitation was a trap. The name of the ship was part of the deception, as was the destination. Max has no idea what happened to his parents. They were able to write a quick note to be given to the "boy on the bicycle" (Max), however, which has a message of sorts for him. So Max is partly on his own, partly under the supervision of his grandmother.

This is NOT a book about Max searching for clues as to what happened to his parents. Max is NOT involved in anyway with that search or research. Once his parents have vanished, well, Max's concerns are mainly economic. This is a book about a somewhat creative boy finding a way to make money while he waits for others to solve the BIG mystery of what happens to his parents. He has two or three little mysteries to solve. And at these little mysteries he excels. These little mysteries might be predictable to adult readers. But despite the fact that adult readers may see how the end will come together, the story itself is enjoyable enough. The book has a handful of interesting characters, Max included.

For readers looking for a quest, a desperate boy willing to risk it all and go on a fantastic journey to find and save his parents, you may be disappointed. But depending on your expectations, you might find yourself surprised by how entertaining it is. 

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

The Fantastic Family Whipple (2013)

The Fantastic Family Whipple. Matthew Ward. 2013. Penguin. 400 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

All the members of the Whipple family had managed to be born in the same month on the same day: March the first. All, of course, but one. Arthur Whipple had been so eager to join his amazing family that he decided to make a surprise arrival into the world at eleven thirty-four P.M. on February the twenty-ninth, just twenty-six minutes ahead of schedule. But to Arthur's astonishment, his family was not as delighted by the surprise as he had hoped. When the doctor placed Arthur in his mother's arms, she smiled lovingly down at him--but he could sense a hint of sadness in her eyes. And when the nurse came and carried him out for his first bath, he turned back to catch a glimpse of his mother quietly crying as the door shut behind him.

The Fantastic Family Whipple is strange, odd, quirky, and perhaps for the right reader perfectly delightful from cover to cover. It's certainly over-the-top and beyond-belief. It has a huge cast of characters. The Whipple family is a large one. Every single person in the family is a grand success. All except for our narrator, Arthur. He is the failure, the shame, of the family. For he alone is the one who has yet to break any world record. The other members of the family, his older siblings and younger siblings, his parents, well, they break records practically every day. In fact, in a single year, they probably break a thousand records. A chronicler even lives with them for convenience. And that's not all. (For example, there's also an animal trainer (the world's hairiest man) and an elephant!)

The book focuses on a time when all is not well in the Whipple house. For a series of accidents has left them all wondering if there is a curse, a family curse, working against them. Some members of the family are more superstitious than others. And it doesn't help that a new family has moved next door. A record-breaking family that rivals their own in many ways; a super-competitive family. A family that also has one outsider in it. (These two become friendly!)

If you enjoy mystery, bizarre humor, and lots of action, then The Fantastic Family Whipple is for you.  

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2013)

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library. Chris Grabenstein. 2013. Random House. 304 pages. [Source: Review Copy]

Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library has a great premise. If you love games (board games, word games, puzzles, etc.) OR if you love libraries (books, reading), then you're in for quite a treat. Mr. Lemoncello is a famous game maker. He makes board games and video games. His games are the best in the world. His hometown has not had a library in twelve years; the old library had burned down. So the new spectacular library needs a grand opening like no other. Twelve lucky children (all age twelve, of course) will get to spend the night locked in the library! But that's just the start of this fantastical book. For in reality, the children will have to "escape" from the library--it's a contest of wits. There are games to be played, risks to be taken, teams to be formed. It will take brains to solve the ultimate game. They only know they cannot use the door they came through or they will be disqualified!

Readers meet all twelve children, but not all children get equal time and attention. This book is fun not because of the characters, but because of the engaging puzzle and the cleverness of the text. This text might appeal more to adult readers, especially librarians who know their children's literature, than to children. But it was fun. I really enjoyed it!

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews

Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked (2013)

Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked. Jarrett J. Krosoczka. 2013. HarperCollins. 226 pages. [Source: Library]

I absolutely LOVE AND ADORE Jarret J. Krosoczka's new novel, Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked. It was love from the very start!

"This is the city, Kalamazoo City. Population: 75,000. By day, it's a bright, vibrant metropolis, the kind of city where dreams come true... Those who don't live here dream of making it here. And those who do, well, they know that there's just no city like it."

It goes on, "On one particular evening, a rather dapper-looking frog stood looking very much out of place among the rifraff who nightly roamed the docks. He was dressed like a teacher. In fact, he was a teacher. Professor Hopkins."

It just doesn't get better than that! Who would not want to read this book? That is, if you like or love detective stories!!! This book has atmosphere and attitude and is practically perfect in every way. The stars of this book are Rick Zengo (a rookie) and his partner Corey O'Malley. They are essentially trying to solve a few mysteries: 1) where did Professor Hopkins go? He hasn't been seen in a few days and I believe his jacket was found in suspicious circumstances along with a few tire tracks. Is he dead or alive? Has this frog croaked? 2) who is responsible for bringing in illegal fish and selling it at the school and school sponsored events? Illegal fish is dangerous, don't you know?!

Loved it from cover to cover! Highly recommend.

© 2013 SukaYuka.com of SukaYuka's Book Reviews