Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

October 1, 2007
This time-travel adventure by a French author reads like a book-long prelude to a much longer story, and it does, in fact, turn out to be a series opener. Fourteen-year-old Sam lives with his grandparents; since the death of his mother three years earlier, his incurably eccentric father, the owner of an antique bookstore, has gotten stranger and stranger. Prone to disappearing, he has been missing for 10 days, and Sam decides to investigate. While searching through the bookstore's basement, he finds a “totem or a voodoo object, the kind of thing you see in horror films, where a terrible curse will strike whomever discovers it” along with a “dirty coin” engraved with strange lines and symbols. Fitting the coin into the object, Sam wakes up in the era of the Vikings, just in time to save a monastery's illuminated manuscript from a raid. Subsequent adventures take him to WWI France, ancient Egypt, medieval Bruges—and give him just enough clues to point to his father's whereabouts, as a prisoner of Vlad the Impaler. Prévost sets up the various locations with lightning efficiency as Sam hurtles through one period after another; readers cannot afford to blink. This is a souped-up, older relative of the Magic Tree House books; kids who liked that brand of history and adventure but have outgrown the format will welcome the more sophisticated presentation here. Ages 9-12.

Starred review from November 19, 2007
In Sanderson’s (Elantris
) children’s debut, an over-the-top fantasy/adventure, librarians are evil because they control all the information in Hushland (America). They distort some facts and fabricate the rest. Alcatraz, meanwhile, is the name of the protagonist, who has been raised in a series of foster homes. As the novel opens, on his 13th birthday, he is quickly initiated into the true nature of librarians by his heretofore unmet grandfather, Leavenworth Smedry. Before long, Sanderson brings on talking dinosaurs (it’s a librarian distortion that they’re extinct), a parallel world, visiting villains and more. The madcap plot can seem chaotic, with action pulling Alcatraz toward new characters at a breakneck speed, but Sanderson unexpectedly draws everything together in an extravagantly silly climax. 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.

January 28, 2008
McWade's boyish voice and knack for nailing a frequent tongue-in-cheek tone aren't enough to elevate this adaptation of a frenzied fantasy to enjoyable listening status. On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz Smedry receives an unusual “gift” in the form of a bag of sand said to be the inheritance of his long-dead parents. The boy soon discovers his very gnarled family tree—and the reason why he and his relatives are in a battle with the evil librarians of Hushland (aka the United States), who selectively dole out and distort information to keep Hushlanders in the dark about the “real” world. The quirky characters (many named after famous prisons), the bursts of derring-do and absurd twists make good fodder for a fast-paced outing. But these elements come embedded in a text that depends on a series of asides to lampoon writing styles and devices of better-known works. Unfortunately, the asides continually refer to “reading” and “pages,” when care might have been taken to suit them to the listener's perspective. 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).

Without its excellent narrator, ALCATRAZ would be farfetched, even ludicrous. Thanks to Charlie McWade, however, the improbable autobiography of Alcatraz Smedry is a smart-aleck fantasy that listeners will relish. Smedry's special gift, breaking things, helps him battle the evil librarians who hold society captive. The unique voices McWade creates for each character keep the dialogue crisp, as do his superior timing and delivery. In particular, the unreliable Alcatraz's sarcastic asides arrive with snort-out-loud humor. When the story gets crazy, McWade pulls listeners back in with a witty crack that will have them searching for missing continents, British dinosaurs, and librarian conspiracies. This is an original offering for the adventure-seeking. C.A. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine