Chris RylanderBesprekingen

Risk-averse Greg Belmont is content with being ordinary. He's has a single friend and a father that tries to make ends meat. The problem is, Greg isn't ordinary he's actually a Dwarf. He discovers the truth the day his dad brings home a gross new tea, that awakens bizarre abilities in Greg.

Very well written. The voice of the main character comes through loud and clear. Mac runs his business out of the fourth stall in the bathroom. For a fee, he will solve your problems until a character named Staples arrives and threatens to end not only Mac's business but also life as he has known it. This is a great read-aloud book because Mac's voice comes through so loudly and clearly. The humor brings this story to life.

Greg continues his journey. This one goes to new places and introduces some great new characters. My daughter (10) and I love the Greg series.

children's middlegrade fiction (great for 4th-7th grades, esp. boys, and esp. kids who like baseball and mobster/spy movies). part 3 of the series but stands alone--you don't need to have read the first 2 installments. I could've done without so many of Vince's "grandma says" jokes, and the use of bully behaviors (for the good of the school?) was a mite questionable, but overall I think this'd do well with the intended audience.

Unexpected.

Unexpected.

This was such a fun read, I was so enthralled by it that I didnt want to put it down.
I loved how the fantasy was written into the story and how Greg kept realizing that a lot of the issues at hand were by his own doing. Although The Dwarf and Elf hating each other bit is a little redundant in the world of fantasy. I felt the characters were all pretty fleshed out. I do feel bad for the direction the friendship of Greg and Edwin is heading towards but I can hold out hope that they can rise above and everything will be alright.
Overall, well thought out world building, characters and story, I can see kids really enjoying this series.

This book was actually more intense than I was expecting...lots of kids being beat up and life-or-death situations. I really liked it though. I like kids books where they live in this little microcosm of children, and all the adults who live outside of it are completely oblivious to everything that's happening, even though it doesn't really make sense. The main character tells his parents that he'd fallen off his bike every time he gets beat up and figures they just think he's really bad at bike-riding.
Some good kid friendships here.

This review made it into the rotation, double booked just under the wire of my move. I'm so glad it did. Greg is a regular (sort of introverted) Chicago kid. He has one friend, he loves his Dad, he loves food, all is pretty okay in his world. I know the city pretty well and this story is spot on geographically correct- in fact, I could even venture to guess which schools may have inspired the descriptions in the book. I won't for fear of taking away the fun that Chicago kids will have narrowing it down on their own. So, winning on the atmosphere front.

The plot? Sublime. Turns out, Greg is a dwarf. Yeah, like LOTR dwarves (only not really, cause that movie uses racial stereotyping ) Not only are there dwarves in Chicago, but there are Elves too. Many, many famous people you may know are either Dwarves or Elves. Once you read this and know, it explains so much. As you might have already guessed the world building is fantastic. I don't want to spoil any of it by saying too much more.

The first in a new series there is already a movie being made of this book and it's been for sale for less than a week. I read a copy provided to me from the Kid Lit Exchange but purchased our own copy only a few chapters in and then used our Audible credit to listen on our road trip. It's that good.

Verdict- Buy (duh!) For fans of magic, LOTR, Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Arlo Finch

Please note that I received a free advance ARC of this book from the Kid Lit Exchange without a review requirement or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that, I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Greg who was MUCH MORE THAN WHAT HE SEEMED, as aptly pointed out by Froggy who basically muttered (mostly) to himself in random fragments, but was also more than what HE seemed, but that's a story for another time. Greg's father was a holistic health professional of sorts, and from time to time, his son was the guinea pig. Whether it was a new organic soap or a new brew, he was there for it all...after all, it's his dad, and he loved the guy, so yeah...bring on the stink or possible unsavory taste! That is until one day, the taste wasn't exactly unsavory...nor was it meant for him...and things in their carefully constructed world begin to fall faster than a house of cards. Secrets are reveled, destinies uncovered, and the magical war that's been at bay for thousands of years is possibly maybe about to get a GIANT SIZE kick in the pants.

Along the way, we'll make friends with Dwarves of all sizes, shapes, and backgrounds, learn that not every one or every thing can be fully trusted, and that most "people" have just as much capacity for love as hatred, revenge as peace, and murderous intent as mercy. Greg will grow in many ways (size, personality, ability, etc) and become more like himself than he's been his whole life...but he's not the only one of note here. Whatever group you identify with most, be it punks, outcasts, populars, nerds, ecetera, there's someone here for you to get behind and root for. From Glam and her questionable hair choices (not judging!) yet penchant for slamming things to Ari and her kick-butt-but-with-peace-if-possible attitude and stunning smithing techniques, Froggy and his unusual nature but kind spirit to Eagen and his awesome storytelling abilities....even Edwin had his pluses and minuses, popular kid with a seemingly genuine kindness (too bad things are the way they are). There's a wide cast of characters to loath and love as this exciting adventure unfolds.

All in all, LOVE IT! Can I just say that I'm SO GLAD it ended the way it ended and left us hanging yet not? Good because I'm saying it. You'll understand when you read it, but trust me, this is only the beginning in SO MANY ways.


**copy received for review

Greg Belmont is a normal 13-year-old kid, and he’s okay with that. His BFF Edwin is the most popular kid in school (and the richest), and the two share an appreciation for something that most middle schoolers don’t get―chess. Then one day, everything changes. After his dad is kidnapped, Greg is led underground where he learns he is not quite as ordinary as he thought. He’s a dwarf. Oh, and there’s an entire world of dwarves living under Chicago. Oh, and now that dwarven magic is returning, a war is brewing between them and their long-time enemies, the elves. And it’s up to Greg to stop it.

What I liked: the two main characters are fabulous, and their friendship evolves throughout the story. There’s also quite a bit of action and humor which keep the story moving at a good pace.

What I did not like: I did not get a good sense of what this underground world of dwarves was like. World-building is so important in fantasy and I just couldn’t visualize the new world Greg was thrown into.

Still, the plot was solid and interesting and the characters were fun.

4 out of 5 stars

Carson is a prankster. He justifies it this way.

“Someone had to make life interesting around here, to break up the routine of a North Dakota existence. And I guess that someone was me. So, yeah, a day filled with goats and glued doors and staplers and pens would be totally worth it compared to just another day.”

The day he is about to pull off one of his best pranks ever, a mysterious man gives him a package to deliver to Mr. Jensen. He is given direct instructions not to open the package. He opens the package. A voice recording informs him that he has 48 hours to enter a code before the device self-destructs. Betsy, as he names the device, gives a reminder every 15 minutes. This is a problem because anyone within earshot of the device also hears the reminder. He must A) cough, shout, or create some other diversion like peeing in his pants to get out of earshot, and B) figure out which Mr. Jensen is the intended recipient.

This is, without a doubt, my favorite spy book. I love Carson. Rylander has done a fantastic job giving loads of detail to create a fully formed, 3-demensional character. Example:

“Right now in my bag next to my desk was a device that apparently carried information vital to the safety of our whole country. And I was supposed to worry about some test on a book so boring I hadn’t even made it past page four? I mean, hundreds of kids had probably failed this very same test over the past twenty-five years and what had happened to them because of it? Nothing, that’s what. Now those kids were doing the same things that kids who had passed the test were doing.”

I love the absolute candor of this kid. I love his stream of consciousness. It’s hilarious as heck, in a subtle kind of way. Most of the kid spy books I’ve read shove the humor down your throat to the extent you gag. Not Rylander. He’s a pro. Even Carson’s friend, Dillion, is a great character with his off-the-wall conspiracy theories. This book has been way overlooked.

Carson Fender, aka the retired Prank Master, aka Agent Zero, aka the all-in-one World's Greatest Hero and World's Greatest Screwup, must protect this program, codenamed Exodus. He is paired once again with his best friend, Danielle, aka Agent Atlas. Together, they must expose an enemy agent working from inside their school—an enemy agent with the mandate to stop at nothing to help secure Exodus. Can Zero and Atlas foil this enemy before it is too late? Carson's final mission will test his loyalty, smarts, and courage as never before.
This book was probably my favorite and least favorite because of all the plot twists. I love em' yet hate em'. Otherwise it was well thought out, clear, able to follow, funny, and all in all a good book. This book probably concludes the series but I hope for more. Maybe "20 years after Carson Fender stopped the Exodus mission/project thingy blah blah blah... and his twins blah and blah Fender must save the world" or something along those lines. Probably not but I can hope. If you read this review then read the book. I mean you probably have if you are reading this review but spread it. If you don't the ghosts of good authors will haunt you. Or the devil will do something to make you regret not having shared it.

Ever since Carson Fender was let go by the secret agency that had enlisted his services to help foil a nefarious plot perpetrated by one of their former agents, Mule Medlock, he's been back to hanging with his friends, pulling pranks, and not having to lie to everyone about how he's spending his days. And that's for the best, isn't it? Of course, this was all before a note showed up in his school lunch, informing him that Agent Nineteen had three days left to live, and that there might still be someone inside the Agency working against them. Carson must save Agent Nineteen and stop Mule Medlock from stealing the Remero Virus and killing the world.

I loved this book because it was funny and interested me. If you have a love for adrenaline spy/mystery books then this is the one for you. It involved me and made me rethink my "Favorite Book Series List Order". I placed it at second next to Harry Potter and before Percy Jackson and the Belly Up series. It was a great novel by Chris Rylander and I hope he makes a fourth book. Maybe "Look for Zero" or somethin' like that. I had a lot of fun reading it.

Codename Zero is the first book in the Codename Conspiracy series. I
read all three books in two days and absolutely loved them! Chris Rylander did really well on this one and weaved it together perfectly. There are very intense plot twists in all three books and not many books impressed me but this one was out of this world! I only found one thing wrong with it. He didn't make enough.

On a blazing hot summer day Carson Fender is putting the final touches on one of his pranks when a strange man shows up and gives him a package for Mr. Jensen. Only problem is that there are two Mr. Jensens. Carson finds out that both work for a secret agency far underneath the school. They hire Carson and assign him to befriending Olek, a new student. Mule Medlock the bad guy kidnaps Olek and Carson and his friends Dillon and his twin sister Danielle have to save him. They find out Mule Medlock is hiding in the annual circus in town. They save Olek but Medlock gets away. The agency kind of fires Carson and he goes back to his normal life. But not for long. The next book is Countdown Zero and if you read that review you will know what happens.

Thanks to the publisher and Goodreads for a fere copy of Clash of the Worlds!

Clash of the Worlds is one of those books that makes me remember what I love about middle grade fiction... and makes me wonder why I don't read it more.

There are larger-than-life, lovable, snarky, and terrifying characters. There's a heck of a lot of genre hopping (zombies! aliens! cowboys!). There are plot twists and turns left and right. And most of all, there's a sense of adventure and reckless abandon. It reminds me of Indiana Jones in a lot of ways, but less archaeology, and more... everything else under the sun.

I will admit that I didn't read the first two books, so I spent the first few chapters feeling a little confused. But I got the gist of what was going on, and now I desperately want to check out the first books in the series.

So, if you love middle grade books -- and especially the sort of middle grade that's a wild romp through fantastical situations -- then I highly recommend the House of Secrets series.

The Fourth Stall is a fun read. It was surprisingly intense and very well written. It wasn’t as light as I thought it was going to be and there was a lot of action.

The kids that are in this book are so brave, smart and tough. I wouldn’t want to go up against them.

Rylander creates an exciting, unique story that is impossible to stop reading. I promise this is a very hard book to put down. I definitely recommend it.

Very well written. The voice of the main character comes through loud and clear. Mac runs his business out of the fourth stall in the bathroom. For a fee, he will solve your problems until a character named Staples arrives and threatens to end not only Mac's business but also life as he has known it. This is a great read-aloud book because Mac's voice comes through so loudly and clearly. The humor brings this story to life.

This was a cute story about a kid running a version of a middle school mafia. The kids in my book club at school loved it and immediately begged for the second in the series. There were lots of references to baseball within the book. If you're a fan of baseball, safe YA lit, and mafia stories, you'll love this book.

Great writing, just like the first one. Funny and edgy! Can't wait to read the 3rd!

One of the most amusing books I've read for that age group in a while. One of the signs that a book is good is that I being thinking of reading it aloud to a class. I thought about doing that within the first chapter.½

This was an amusing read and I enjoyed it enough to continue the series.

Mac (MacGyver-a nickname given to him because he's a problem solver) and Vince have been friends since Kindergarten. They are currently sixth graders running a business at the school solving the problems of the other students and sometimes the problems of adults as well. They have an office in an abandoned bathroom at the school and generally solve problems and collect small fees or the promise of favors in the future. One day a third grader arrives with a big problem, which has ramifications for their business as well. Then the fun really starts.

This book made me laugh out loud and I cheered the boys on. I very much appreciated that Mac and Vince were very moral and though they sometimes broke rules they always did so in a way which would not get others into trouble or harm others.

3.5 stars. First, let me say I love the parody of the Godfather cover it is hilarious. The Fourth Stall is the saga of best friends Christian, who goes by Mac, and Vince. The boys have been friends forever and have started a business together which offers services to the younger kids at low prices. When a small third grader named Fred comes to the duo looking for protection from hard nosed bookie, Staples, their lives are thrown into a tailspin. This book had some great laughs. I would recommend this to reluctant readers , sports fans or anyone who likes a good laugh½

Recommended Ages: Gr. 6-8

Plot Summary: Mac and Vince, best friends since childhood, have been running a business in the fourth stall of the bathroom for years. All of the students know about the business and Mac is a bit of a celebrity when he actually steps outside during recess. When a kid comes with a big problem, Mac is shocked. He thought Staples wasn't a real person, just a legend that all of the kids talked about. No one really met him before, but Fred is saying he used to work for the guy, but now he wants out and he is asking Mac to help. This is the biggest problem Mac has ever gotten involved with and enlists the help of all of the bullies in the school to protect Fred. But Staples is anticipating every move they try to make. Who is Staples' inside guy? Could it be Vince who has been acting funny recently?

Setting: somewhere near the Chicago Cubs

Characters:
Christian Barrett - AKA Mac, short for MacGyver, 6th grade, used to live in the trailer park with Vince but not lives in a house and can afford small vacations
Vince - Mac's best friend, lives in a trailer park
Principal Dickerson - used the back bathroom until his butt got superglued to the seat
Joe - Mac's strongman
Fred - 4th? grader, plays video games in the corner of the office
Staples - AKA Barry Larsen
Barnaby Willis - 8th grader, Staples' collector, new to the school
Tanzeem -
Jacky Boy - 4th grader,
Ears - hears everything going on in the school
Justin Johnston - 7th grader, Staple's head guy
Tyrell Alishouse - spy
Bullies: Nubby (7th), Paul AKA Little Paul or LP, Snapper (3rd), Kevin (7th), iBully (5th), Great White (7th), PrepSchool (6th)

Recurring Themes: bully, business, authority, power, bets, manipulation, friendship, trailer parks, money, Chicago Cubs

Controversial Issues: none

Personal Thoughts: This book pissed me off because they kept saying that adults are useless and the fact that all the adults in the story really were idiots. I also thought it was totally impossible for a realistic fiction book, but maybe I'm just naive. Regardless, I really didn't like it, although the writing and character development were ok.

Genre: realistic fiction

Pacing: medium
Characters: many, hard to keep track, always introduced with a paragraph and/or a story
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Storyline:

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