Milo Speck, Accidental Agent

June 1, 2015
“Scrawny” Milo Speck gets even scrawnier after he goes searching for a missing sock in the dryer and is yanked into a world of giant ogres who, as in Jack and the Beanstalk, aren’t averse to grinding the bones of humans who come their way. When Milo discovers that his father may be in Ogregon, too, he tries to find his bearings in this dangerous world and attempt a rescue. The story’s fantasy elements are a departure for Urban (The Center of Everything), but readers who are familiar with her books will recognize her characteristic attentiveness to characters’ emotional lives; Milo’s disequilibration in Ogregon only intensifies as he has to rethink everything he believes about his family (including his mother’s disappearance a year earlier). As the progressing plot incorporates secret agents, giant turkeys, household appliances, and song-and-dance numbers, the story begins to take on a kitchen-sink feeling, but its clever humor and daring rescues will keep readers glued to Milo’s adventures and hoping for future ones. Ages 9–12. Author’s agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency.

July 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Milo Speck has read about magical adventures, and now he finds himself quite unexpectedly in one after a search for a missing sock in the dryer transports him to a land of ogres with a penchant for eating humans. There are many surprises and revelations in store for Milo in Ogregon, including the truth about his father's "fencing" job. He comes to believe that his father is also in Ogregon, and sets out to find him so they can escape together. Along the way he meets Tuck, a girl about his age with a prickly personality, and together they must survive long enough to stop a plot to develop dryers that will pull even more human children through to Ogregon to become ogre-food. Humor and action abound in this fast-paced adventure with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers interested. The ogres' sheer size makes up for their often hilarious ineptitude, and Milo is an engaging, relatable character who finds hidden depths when tested, whether it's riding a giant turkey or convincing the stubborn Tuck to help him. The tale wraps up satisfactorily but with the possibility for future adventures with the Tuckerman Agency. VERDICT An entertaining choice that will appeal to fans of Roald Dahl and Eva Ibbotson.-Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

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