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Friday, June 09, 2017
The Door in the Alley A Quick, Quirky, Adventure-Filled Romp
1:18 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
Even though there are maps tacked up all over his bedroom walls, Sebastian is not the kind of boy who longs for adventure. He's certainly not the type who goes looking for it. In fact, he prefers his life just the way it is—safe, predictable, and logical. So, why does a cryptic sign posted in a dingy alley make him so darn curious? What is it about The Explorers Society that keeps tugging at his underactive imagination?
Most illogically, it's a pig in a tiny hat who grants Sebastian entrance into the mysterious society's headquarters. What he finds inside are people and stories so mind-boggling he can hardly believe they're real. The Explorers Society is a fun place to hang out, especially since Sebastian's not required to do any adventuring for himself.
When 11-year-old Evie Drake appears on the Society's doorstep, however, everything changes. Suddenly, Sebastian finds himself in the middle of a grand adventure complete with a missing explorer, a puzzling mystery, and two sinister bad guys hot on his trail. Sebastian wants to help Evie find her missing grandfather—he really does—but he's no Indiana Jones. How can he solve the mystery, rescue Mr. Drake, and keep himself and Evie safe from goons with guns? It's impossible. Especially for a risk-averse, panic-attack prone boy like Sebastian. He's no hero. Or is he?
The Door in the Alley, the first book in a new series by Adrienne Kress, is a fun-filled, action-packed adventure perfect for armchair explorers. Featuring a quirky, conversational narrator, it's an upbeat tale with plenty of twists, turns, and surprises. Sebastian and Evie make a likeable team—it's easy to root for them as they work together to save the only family member Evie has left. The Door in the Alley is an easy, exciting read that middle graders will surely eat right up. Personally, I can't wait to see what happens next to this dynamic duo.
(Readalikes: Reminds me of York by Laura Ruby; also of books by Lemony Snicket, Psuedonymous Bosch, and Chris Grabenstein)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for violence and scenes of peril
To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of The Door in the Alley from the generous folks at Random House Kids. Thank you!
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Want more opinions about The Door in the Alley? Of course you do! Follow along on the book's two-month long tour:
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Live To Read
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From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors
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The Winged Pen
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22-Jun
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6 comments:
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I love when kid books offer up such fun adventures; I still like to read them now and again, even though I don't have kids of my own. This one sounds like a great summer read. :)
ReplyDeleteI love MG, too. Fast, easy stories that are engaging and fun are my fave :)
DeleteSounds like a cute one. And I'm not even a middle grade fan.
ReplyDeleteIt is cute. The perfect length, too.
DeleteThis looks and sounds like another winner in the MG category. Even if I'm no longer reading to my kids who are now teens, I still like reading MG books for myself.
ReplyDeleteI love MG. Fast, easy reads are so nice to sandwich between heavier books. I've come across quite a number of deeper MGs as well, so it's a genre with a lot of variety and potential.
Delete