Summary
This is the story of Alcatraz Smedry who has been sent to many different foster families. He has destroyed things that have been important to each of his foster parents. At his birthday, Alcatraz receives a bag of sand. A group of Librarians tries to steal his bag of sand. Soon after, he sets his foster parent’s kitchen on fire. His caseworker came to his foster home and yelled at him for ruining the parent’s kitchen.
Shortly thereafter, an old man comes by the house and says that he is Alcatraz’s grandfather. He tells him that he has a gift for breaking things. It turns out that the Librarians are secretly trying to take over the world. Alcatraz must go to the library to infiltrate them.
My Impressions
Of course I am going to love any book that involves evil, power hungry Librarians. The writing was witty and I loved that the writer made something that seemed like a negative trait and turned it into a talent. The author seemed to do that with a lot of other things in the book too, which made this world seem more advanced.
Reviews
Those wanting a linear tale are out of luck, although the snarkier set, among them Lemony Snicket fans, may want to hang on for the ride. Ages 9-up. Simultaneous release with the Scholastic hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 19, 2007). (Nov.) Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Publisher’s Weekly
Readers whose sense of humor runs toward the subversive will be instantly captivated: not only does the author poke fun at librarians, he lampoons books (including this one) in frequent passages directly addressed to readers: "You are saying to yourself, 'The story just lost me. It degenerated into pure silliness.... I'm going to go read a book about a boy whose dog gets killed by his mother. Twice.'" Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel isn't for everyone, but it's also sure to win passionate fans. Ages 9-up. (Oct.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Publisher’s Weekly
Though there's intentionally more humor than drama, Alcatraz becomes a more complex figure by the time his adventure is through as he discovers the value of friendship, courage, and family. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world.-Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
School Library Journal
Readers are indeed tortured, with quirky, seemingly incompetent heroes; dastardly villains fond of torture; cars that drive themselves; nonstop action; and cliffhanger chapter endings. And as soon as they finish the last wickedly clever page, they will be standing in line for more from this seasoned author of such adult-marketed titles as Elantris (Tor, 2005/VOYA October 2005).-Arlene Garcia.
Voice of Youth Advocates
Usage in a Library Setting
This may be a good book to include in a program about Fantasy. It would be great to include in a book discussion. Kids will really enjoy this book and are likely to discuss it with their friends.
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