Module 9: The London Eye Mystery

Full Citation

Dowd, Siobhan. The London Eye Mystery. Oxford: David Fickling, 2008. Print.


Summary

Ted knows almost everything there is to know about the weather. It's interacting with other people that he doesn't always get. When his aunt "Hurricane" Gloria and cousin Salim blow through London en route to relocating to New York from Manchester, Ted finds a kindred spirit in his cousin. The family takes Salim to the London Eye, where Ted and his sister Kat are given a ticket by a shady character which they in turn give to Salim. Salim goes in, his car goes up... but when it touches the ground again, Salim doesn't get out. Feeling responsible, Ted and Kat take it upon themselves to find Salim.

My Impressions

When it comes to mystery stories. I can always give or take the mystery. Its the characters and their surroundings that appeals to me, from Sherlock Holmes to Hawaii Five-0. All that to say that this novel is a very satisfying, well-written story with appealing characters. I was cheering for Ted the whole time as he learned in many ways to open himself to the world around him. The other family members are all fully-fleshed out as well. As for the mystery itself, it unfolds in a very believable way, something I especially appreciated given that it was an "amateur detective" story, a sub-genre that often lends itself to stretches of credibility. The payoff, both in the plot and of the character arcs, is very satisfying.

What Other Reviewers Said

When Ted's cousin Salim visits London, he insists on riding "The London Eye," an immense observation wheel. A stranger gives Salim a free ticket; Salim enters a passenger capsule; 30 minutes later, when the capsule returns from its rotation, Salim has vanished. What follows is an intricate mystery, related from the unique point of view of 12-year-old Ted, who has Asperger's Syndrome. Ted is a brilliant but literal thinker who sees things in things in terms of mathematical probabilities. His brain, though differently wired, is as efficient as a computer. It is precisely the logical mind needed to solve the mystery, and it saves Salim's life. This is a well-constructed puzzle, and mystery lovers will delight in connecting the clues, but what makes this a riveting read is Ted's voice. He is bright, honest, brave and very funny about his "syndrome" (his teacher has given him a cartoon code for recognizing the five basic emotions). The message, grippingly delivered, is that kids, even differently abled ones, are worth paying attention to. (Fiction. 9-14) (1)

A 12-year-old Londoner with something like Asperger's syndrome narrates this page-turner, which grabs readers from the beginning and doesn't let go. As Ted and his older sister Katrina watch, their visiting cousin Salim boards a "pod" for a ride on the London Eye, a towering tourist attraction with a 360-degree view of the city--but unlike his fellow passengers, Salim never comes down. He has vanished. At the outset Ted explains that he has cracked the case: "Having a funny brain that runs on a different operating system from other people's helped me to figure out what happened." The tension lies in the implicit challenge to solve the mystery ahead of Ted, who turns his intense observational powers on the known facts, transforming his unnamed disability into an investigative tool while the adults' emotions engulf them. Dowd ratchets up the stakes repeatedly: is a boy in the morgue Salim? Has he drowned? Been kidnapped? Katrina and Ted work together to solve the puzzle, developing new respect for each other. The author wryly locates the humor as Ted wrangles with his symptoms (learning to lie represents progress) but also allows Ted an ample measure of grace. Comparisons to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time are inevitable--this release was delayed when Mark Haddon's book (from the same publisher) became a bestseller--but Dowd makes clearer overtures to younger readers. Just as impressive as Dowd's recent debut, A Swift Pure Cry, and fresh cause to mourn her premature death this year. Ages 8-12. (2)

Suggested Activities


Older readers will definitely want to check out Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, another British mystery featuring a protagonist on the autism spectrum. The London Eye Mystery is the better of the two in my opinion but of course, there is always room for a healthy debate.

Other Citations

(1) "THE LONDON EYE MYSTERY." Kirkus Reviews 75.24 (2007): 1294. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

(2) "The London Eye Mystery." Publishers Weekly 254.48 (2007): 70. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 31 Oct. 2010.

Module 8: The City of Ember

Full Citation

DuPrau, Jeanne. The City of Ember. New York: Random House, 2003. Print.

Summary

In the city of Ember, the sky is black and light is provided by lamps. The society that has been living underground for more than 200 years, but longer and more frequent blackouts and dwindling supplies are keeping the citizens on edge. 12-year-old Lina Mayfleet makes a discovery that may provide the answer to Ember's troubles, but no one in the city, especially the mayor, wants to hear it. With the help of her old friend and classmate Doon Harrow, Lina uncovers a disturbing secret and searches for the ultimate solution for Ember: escape.

My Impressions

I saw the 2008 film version when it was in theaters, so I was already somewhat familiar with the story. However, this did not limit my enjoyment of this clever and exciting story in the slightest. DuPrau's narrative style, utilizing the underrated third-person point-of-view to flip between Lina and Doon's stories, keeps the story engaging and will keep young readers guessing.

What Other Critics Said

This promising debut is set in a dying underground city. Ember, which was founded and stocked with supplies centuries ago by "The Builders," is now desperately short of food, clothes, and electricity to keep the town illuminated. Lina and Doon find long-hidden, undecipherable instructions that send them on a perilous mission to find what they believe must exist: an exit door from their disintegrating town. In the process, they uncover secret governmental corruption and a route to the world above. Well-paced, this contains a satisfying mystery, a breathtaking escape over rooftops in darkness, a harrowing journey into the unknown and cryptic messages for readers to decipher. The setting is well-realized with the constraints of life in the city intriguingly detailed. The likable protagonists are not only courageous but also believably flawed by human pride, their weaknesses often complementing each other in interesting ways. The cliffhanger ending will leave readers clamoring for the next installment. (Fiction. 9-13) (1)

Unlike the rundown dystopia of Lois Lowry's Gathering Blue, the darkness of Ember is essentially literal. Its people, by and large, are honorable and civilized; its governance is democratic if quasi-theocratic; its economy frugal but fair. But there is no natural light in Ember, and the blackouts of its antiquated electrical grid are coming more and more frequently: "running out of light bulbs, running out of power, running out of time--disaster was right around the corner." So thinks Doon, a curious twelve-year-old who, along with his spirited schoolmate Lina, determines to save the city. On a deliberately limited canvas, first-novelist DuPrau draws a picture of a closed society, all of its resources taken from vast but emptying storerooms, with no travel possible beyond the lights of the city. The writing and storytelling are agreeably spare and remarkably suspenseful, and rather than bogging down in explanations of how Ember came to be and how it functions, DuPrau allows the events of the story to convey the necessary information. There's a contrivance or two in keeping the narrative moving, but even the device of a hidden letter, complete with missing words, is used with such disarming forthrightness that readers will be eagerly deciphering it right alongside Doon and Lina. The two protagonists are good sorts, distinctively if not deeply etched, and fans (note: there will be many) will be pleased to know that while Doon and Lina's mission is triumphantly concluded, there's plenty of room for a sequel. (2)

Suggested Activities

Have readers form a group of "Builders" designing their own underground city (or a city underwater, on the Moon, etc.) How would they design the city? What supplies would they need?

Other Citations 

(1) "THE CITY OF EMBER (Book)." Kirkus Reviews 71.10 (2003): 749. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 24 Oct. 2010.

(2) Sutton, Roger. "The City of Ember (Book)." Horn Book Magazine 79.3 (2003): 343. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Oct. 2010.

Module 8: The Lightning Thief

Full Citation

Riordan, Rick. The Lightning Thief. New York: Miramax /Hyperion for Children, 2005. Print.


Summary 

The Greek gods are alive and well and living in the modern-day United States. That's what Perseus "Percy" Jackson finds out the hard way when he is attacked by his math teacher, one of Hades' Furies, while on a field trip. The eleven-year-old soon finds himself whisked off to Camp Half-Blood in Long Island, a camp for children whose parents are gods, which Percy finds out he is one. When Zeus' lightning bolt is stolen and Percy is targeted as the number-one suspect, he, fellow camper Annabeth, and satyr Grover set out on a cross-country quest to prevent World War III.

My Impressions

I've heard a lot about this book being called a "American Harry Potter", and on the surface, it is rather true. Like Harry, Percy soon finds he has a big reputation preceding him, and has to set out on a epic quest with his two friends. However, the clever conceit of the Greek gods living and interacting with our society keeps things fresh and appealing. As someone who grew up devouring the Greek myths, it was especially fun playing "Spot the Creature" as Percy went against various figures from the Minotaur to Medusa.

What Other Reviewers Said

A clever concept drives Riordan's highly charged children's book debut (the first in a series): the Greek Gods still rule, though now from a Mt. Olympus on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building, and their offspring, demigods, live among human beings. Narrator Percy Jackson thinks he's just another troubled 12-year-old, until he vaporizes his math teacher, learns his best friend, Grover, is a satyr and narrowly escapes a minotaur to arrive at Camp Half-Blood. After a humorous stint at camp, Percy learns he's the son of Poseidon and embarks on a quest to the Underworld with Grover and Annabeth (a daughter of Athena) to resolve a battle between Zeus and Poseidon over Zeus's stolen "master" lightning bolt. Without sacrificing plot or pacing, Riordan integrates a great deal of mythology into the tale and believably places mythical characters into modern times, often with hilarious results (such as Hades ranting about the problem of "sprawl," or population explosion). However, on emotional notes the novel proves less strong (for example, Percy's grief for his mother rings hollow; readers will likely spot the "friend" who betrays the hero, as foretold by the Oracle of Delphi, before Percy does) and their ultimate confrontation proves a bit anticlimactic. Still, this swift and humorous adventure will leave many readers eager for the next installment. Ages 10-up. (1)

Gr 5-9 --An adventure-quest with a hip edge. At first glance, Perseus Jackson seems like a loser (readers meet him at a boarding school for troubled youth), but he's really the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. As he discovers his heritage, he also loses that mother and falls into mortal danger. The gods (still very active in the 21st-century world) are about to go to war over a lost thunderbolt, so Percy and sidekicks Grover (a young satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out to retrieve it. Many close calls and monster-attacks later, they enter Hades's realm (via L.A.). A virtuoso description of the Underworld is matched by a later account of Olympus (hovering 600 floors above Manhattan). There's lots of zippy review of Greek myth and legend, and characters like Medusa, Procrustes, Charon, and the Eumenides get updates. Some of the Labors of Heracles or Odysseus's adventures are recycled, but nothing seems stale, and the breakneck pace keeps the action from being too predictable. Percy is an ADHD, wise-cracking, first-person narrator. Naturally, his real quest is for his own identity. Along the way, such topics as family, trust, war, the environment, dreams, and perceptions are raised. There is subtle social critique for sophisticated readers who can see it. Although the novel ends with a satisfying conclusion (and at least one surprise), it is clear that the story isn't over. The 12-year-old has matured and is ready for another quest, and the villain is at large. Readers will be eager to follow the young protagonist's next move. (2)

Suggested Activity

Percy Jackson's exploits provide the perfect introduction to the Greek myths. Read the original stories and compare how heroes such as Hercules and Percy's namesake Perseus handled things.

Other Citations

(1) "The Lightning Thief." Publishers Weekly 252.28 (2005): 207. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

(2) Lothrop, Patricia D. "The Lightning Thief." School Library Journal 51.8 (2005): 134. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

Module 7: The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

Full Citation


Lyga, Barry. The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Boston: Graphia, 2007. Print.


Summary


Donnie is a gifted high-schooler who's having a terrible time of it both at school, where he is relentlessly bullied, and at home, with his pregnant, high-strung mother and "step-fascist." He sees his only out of this miserable life is his graphic novel, Schemata, about a schoolteacher with superpowers. When he befriends, Kyra another loner who dubs him "Fanboy" (and he dubs her "Goth Girl" in return), he finds he might have to be the superhero in real life.

My Impressions


I'll come right out with it and admit this book made me very uneasy at first. When the narrator started fantasizing about taking the school hostage, I was sure the book was headed in a very tragic direction. Instead, the author chose to make it a very emotional and quite entertaining at times story about one teen loner's journey into understanding those around him better. As an author myself, I loved Donnie talking about his own creative process in creating Schemata, and I wish it was real. With bullying tragically making the news once again, this is a timely read for teens and adults about how one person handles it.   


What Other Reviewers Said


6-8 9-12 This novel will strike a timely chord with any student who feels bullied or ostracized. 15-year-old Fanboy is a comic book infatuated genius who lives with his divorced and pregnant mother and the “step-fascist.” The only good thing going for him is the graphic novel he is creating. When classmates pick on him for no apparent reason, he creates “The List,” and daydreams of a school shooting. It is not until he meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, that he starts to learn how to act around others. The loneliness and pain are captured so vividly that his daydreams become understandable, which contrasts well to his discovery that he isn’t so hated and that other people have needs, too. Kyra’s intense issues added to the novel, and the lack of bloodshed was a pleasant surprise. It was disappointing to this reviewer when Kyra and Fanboy blackmailed the assistant principal, and “The List” was never addressed. However, the believability of the characters and the topic will
be a sure hit with readers and definitely provide food for thought. Librarians should be aware of strong language. Recommended. - Spencer Korson, Media Specialist, Bullock Creek High School & Middle School, Midland, Michigan (1)

Gr 9 Up -On good days, Fanboy is invisible to the students at his high school. On bad ones, he's a target for bullying and violence. When a classmate is cruel to him, Fanboy adds him to "The List" and moves on. His only real friend, Cal, is a jock who can't be seen with him in public. Their love of comics, though, keeps them close friends outside of school. Reading comics and writing his own graphic novel, Schemata, are the only things that keep him sane. He dreams of showing his work to a famous author at a comic-book convention and being discovered as the next great graphic novelist. When Goth Girl Kyra IMs him with photos of him being beaten up, he's skeptical. Why does she care what happens to him? He learns, though, that she's as much an outsider as he is. The two form a tentative friendship based on hatred of their classmates, particularly jocks, and her interest in Schemata. Fanboy is a rule follower, but Kyra is a rebel with a foul mouth. She teaches him to stand up for himself, and gives him the confidence to do it. Lyga looks at how teens are pushed to their limits by society. Though he toys with such concepts as teen suicide and Columbine-like violence, the novel never turns tragic. His love of comics carries over into all three teen characters, breathing animation into a potentially sad but often funny story. This is a great bridge book for teens who already like graphic novels. By Stephanie L. Petruso, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Odenton, MD (2)

Suggested Activity


Team students up to draw and write a short graphic novel that details what happens next for the characters.

Other Actvities

(1) Korson, Spencer. "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl." Library Media Connection 25.7 (2007): 81. Computer Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

(2) Petruso, Stephanie L. "The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl." School Library Journal 52.11 (2006): 141. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

Module 7: No More Dead Dogs

Full Citation


Korman, Gordon. No More Dead Dogs. New York: Hyperion for Children, 2000. Print.


Summary


"... the dog always dies. Go to the library and pick out a book with an award sticker and a dog on the cover. Trust me, that dog is going down."


So says football player Wallace Wallace to his eighth grade English teacher about the assigned material, Old shep, My Pal, who in return gives Wallace detention until he writes a "proper" report. The trouble is, Wallace can't lie and that's really how he feels, so he's left with nothing to do after school then hang around the drama club, and it just so happens that their latest production in a dramatization of Old Shep written by the teacher. Wallace gives the teacher advice to improve the play, winning the hearts of the drama club while horrifying the drama club president, Julia Roberts-wannabe Rachel Turner. Can Wallace Wallace find out who's sabotaging the play and finally get his report written?


My Impressions


That quote above made me know I had to get the book right away, having just read Sounder for a class module on Newbery winners a few weeks before. It was a very clever premise, but the execution didn't quite follow through. Still, it's very funny and the main characters are very appealing (I especially loved the little sub-plot about the English teacher finding his inner rock star), making it a very light and entertaining read for middle-schoolers.


What Other Reviewers Said

This was one of the funniest books I have ever read! The main character, Wallace, an eighth grader and a football player, is well known for never telling a lie. His English teacher, Mr. Fogelman, assigns the class to write a book review of his favorite book, Old Shep, My Pal (1951). Wallace doesn't lie but says he thinks the book is awful; besides, you know that the dog will die before starting page one "because the dog always dies." This makes Mr. Fogelman angry and he gives Wallace a detention. Wallace is to write and turn in a good review. Detention ends up meaning that Wallace cannot play or practice football until the proper "review" is written, and the detention must be served with the drama club, which is directed by Mr. Fogelman. Not only is Wallace extremely honest, he is very stubborn. The next review he writes is still not acceptable, so he must continue coming to the drama club practices as part of his "detention." Middle school kids will enjoy this book because it is so typical of their language, actions, and ideas. It would make a good book to read aloud to a class. Recommended. (1)

Gordon Korman's multigenre novel (part mystery, romance, epistolary fiction, and drama) No More Dead Dogs traces the unwonted directorial debut of its eighth-grade protagonist Wallace Wallace. After being suspended from the football team as punishment for writing a scathing review of his English teacher's favorite childhood book Old Shep, My Pal, the boy with a truth-telling fetish must learn to play politics or kiss his athletic career good-bye.... The joke upon which the title turns is Wallace's unhappy realization of a particular leitmotif in American literature: the sacrifice of countless dogs (e.g., Old Yeller, Sounder, Bristle Face). This becomes a metaphor for the premature loss of innocence, which the drama kids (believing they have intuited the source of Wallace's angst) chant in unison at rehearsal: "No more dead dogs." The fact is, while the book packs plot, it lacks witty follow-through of this amusing premise. We have no idea why Wallace initially champions the dog cause (other than a refusal to cater to the taste of his teacher); in fact, the book has nothing to do with the title theme whatever. Instead, No More Dead Dogs refocuses its attention on the travails of the president of the drama club, Rachel Turner, as she struggles to preserve the authority and artistic integrity of her theatrical mentor, Mr. Fogelman. Rachel, incidentally, is a girl with a bizarre fixation on Julia Roberts who writes obsessively to the star for counsel. There are other problems with No More Dead Dogs. The book is filled with jokes aimed at an adult audience rather than one comprised of middle schoolers (e.g., one character spews a bountiful supply of mixed metaphors that the author must explain, uncommon as they are in the parlance of kids: "It's the icing on the gravy," "by any stretch of the means," "If the cake fits, eat it"). These are jokes that desperately wish to be funny but the book produces only one that would be considered genuinely amusing to its demographic. Wallace Wallace is relentlessly pursued throughout the story by a Mephistopheles-like ex-best friend named Cavanaugh who refers to the protagonist repeatedly as "Jackass Jackass." Even as I write that, I laugh--in a juvenile, David Spade sort of way. In my opinion, No More Dead Dogs had serious potential to be a much better book than the writing produced. - S. Graber. (2)

Suggested Activity


Have kids share endings of books or movies they didn't like. How would they change it? Have them write or act out their all-new "alternate ending."

Other Citations

(1) Clarke, Jo. "No More Dead Dogs (Book Review)." Book Report 19.5 (2001): 60. Computer Source. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

(2) Blasingame, James, et al. "Books for adolescents." Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 46.2 (2002): 178. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 10 Oct. 2010.

Module 6: Frindle

 Full Citation


Clements, Andrew, and Brian Selznick. Frindle. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Division, 1996. Print.

Summary

Nicholas Allen has always known how to stir up a little good-natured mischief at Lincoln Elementary School. When Nicholas starts fifth grade, however, he finds he just might have met his match in one Mrs. Lorelei Granger, the fifth-grade English teacher who treats the dictionary like a sacred text. It's a comment Mrs. Granger makes in class one day about how it's the people who determine what what words are acceptable for common use that gets Nick's greatest scheme yet going. Soon kids all over the school start calling their pens frindles, causing a sensation all over the small town of Westfeld, New Hampshire, and soon all over the country...

My Impressions 


From the title, I thought this was going to be a fantasy story. Finding out instead that it's a sweet realistic (well, everything in this story could happen) school story made me enjoy it just as much, if even more. I loved following both the young boy who has no malevolent intentions learning probably one of the largest scale object lessons of all time and the stern but loving teacher who is his biggest cheerleader and guide, even if neither of them know it yet. This would be a great story to read aloud in a class. Clement's avuncular tone and the illustrations by Caldecott-winner Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) keep the proceedings light-hearted the whole time.

What Other Reviewers Said

Can you imagine finding the word frindle in one of this century’s newest dictionaries? I think that might have happened if Andrew Clements’ book Frindle had won a Newbery award five years ago. Few young readers can resist identifying with fifth-grader Nicholas Allen, who coined a new word for pen- frindle- and managed to give his dictionary-loving teacher, Mrs. Granger, a new challenge. Like countless readers who have honored this book with numerous state awards, I am amused by Nick’s efforts to pursue getting this “new” word included in the dictionary. The author manages to tell a tale in which students respect their language arts teacher but are willing to assume consequences for minor acts of defiance. Eventually Mrs. Granger and Nick come to an understanding that has positive lifelong mutual benefits for the class as well as for readers who realize the power of language. This book makes a great read-aloud. In addition, it is an easy sell to elementary-school children, who readily recommend it to their friends. They always ask if there are more books like Frindle. – Judy Moburg (1)


The author has created a fresh, imaginative plot that will have readers smiling all the way through, if not laughing out loud. Nick, a champion time-waster, faces the challenge of his life when confronted with the toughest teacher in school, Mrs. Granger. Always counted on to filibuster the impending test or homework assignment away, Nick has met his match in "Dangerous Grangerous," who can spot a legitimate question in a second and has no patience with the rest. In answer to "Like, who says that d-o-g means the thing that goes 'woof' and wags its tail? Who says so?" she replies, "You do, Nicholas. You and me and everyone in this class and this school and this town and this state and this country." And thus is born frindle, Nick's new name for pen, promising and delivering a classic student-teacher battle along the lines of — but far funnier than — Avi's Nothing But the Truth (Orchard). The battle assumes the proportions of a tall tale, and although outrageous and hilarious, it's all plausible, and every bit works from the premise to the conclusion. The brisk narration is rapid-fire, and Nick is one of the most charming troublemakers since Soup. The merchandising future of this one is too terrible to contemplate; the cutting-edge gift this Christmas has got to be a frindle. (2)

Suggested Activity

Have young readers think of other things in their lives that in their opinion could use new or better names. Then have them write a definition down and include an illustration if possible. Combine the pages together to create your own dictionary!

Other Citations

(1) Warrell, Beth, et al. "It Should Have Won a Newbery!." Book Links 11.5 (2002): 15. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.

(2) Watson, Elizabeth S. "Frindle." Horn Book Magazine 72.6 (1996): 732. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.

Module 5: Mr. Maxwell's Mouse

Full Citation


Asch, Frank, and Devin Asch. Mr. Maxwell's Mouse. Toronto: Kids Can, 2004. Print.


Summary


When Mr. Howard Maxwell receives a promotion at work, the cat forgoes his usual baked mouse at the Paw and Claw Restaurant and orders a raw mouse, no killing necessary. However, this turns out to be a mistake as the little mouse proves to be quite a handful.

My Impressions


I'm a cat person, but even I was cheering for the mouse in this clever story about brains besting brawn. I re-read the book several times just to look over the lavish illustrations, and I'm sure many young readers will do the same.


What Other Reviewers Said


This father/son team has concocted a delicious cat-and-mouse tale in which small outsmarts large. Every day, Mr. Howard Maxwell, a proper and pompous cat, orders baked mouse at the Paw and Claw Restaurant until the day of his promotion to Vice Manager of Efficiency Control, when he chooses a raw mouse for his entrée. When the dish arrives, the white mouse, reclining on rye toast, engages Mr. Maxwell in conversation (despite his mother's admonitions not to fraternize with his food), employing one rose after another to delay his demise: sprinkling salt, ordering a glass of wine, and requesting a prayer. The mouse deviously creates a catastrophe that enables him to escape and free all the other mice. The computer-generated art is stylishly elegant, dramatically colored in dark hues of slate and black, and handsomely designed with the text printed in white on black sidebars. Effective telescopic perspectives zoom closer as the mouse gets nearer to being eaten. Visually stunning, the period setting (1930s England?), captivating illustrations, and tongue-in-cheek dialogue create a delectable tail, er, tale of one-upmouseship to be savored. (Picture book. 5-8) (1)

K-Gr 3-- A clever game of cat and mouse is presented with delicious humor by this father/son team. Mr. Howard Maxwell, a dapper, pompous feline, lunches daily on baked mouse at the stuffy Paw and Claw restaurant, but today is different. Promoted to Vice Manager of Efficiency Control at Taylor, Bentwell and Nipson, he celebrates by ordering raw mouse instead. The entrée arrives "stretched out on a single slice of rye toast as if sunning itself on a sandy beach" and proceeds to engage its prospective nemesis in conversation, a wily plan to escape its fate. Mr. Maxwell falls into the trap, is tricked into cutting into his own tail, and the mouse gets away, freeing the other mice awaiting consumption and creating mayhem in the restaurant as well. Recuperating in the hospital, Mr. Maxwell receives a note that reads, in part: "I'm sure you would have taken similar measures had you found yourself in my position … I bear you no ill will and can only imagine that you feel the same." Readers will relish the formal language as a tongue-in-cheek counterpoint to a very funny, if macabre, story. In keeping with the black humor, dark but lush illustrations, rendered in Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter, depict an Edwardian setting with the staid, elegant restaurant interior just begging to be thrown into chaos. White text against glossy black panels perfectly suits the mood, and atop his mustard brown toast the little white mouse glows with cleverness. A truly scrumptious treat. (2)

Suggested Activities


Play "Restaurant" with a twist. Have a box of animal masks; after picking a mask, the reader playing "Mr. Maxwell" has to order accordingly.


Other Citations


(1) "MR. MAXWELL'S MOUSE (Book)." Kirkus Reviews 72.16 (2004): 802. MAS Ultra - School Edition. EBSCO. Web. 30 Sept. 2010.


(2) Orlando, Marie. "Mr. Maxwell's Mouse (Book)." School Library Journal 50.9 (2004): 154. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 30 Sept. 2010.