The Matchstick Castle

November 7, 2016
Brian Brown is enduring “the worst summer ever” before sixth grade after his father sends him from Boston to the town of Boring, Ill., where he’s forced to help test-drive his Uncle Gary’s summer-school software program. Then Brian and his (initially frosty) cousin Nora discover the nearby Matchstick Castle, a haphazard seven-story wooden house (complete with “a big wooden boat” on top), inhabited by Cosmo van Dash and his family of eccentric adventurers. As the madcap plot progresses, Brian and Nora trap giant Amazonian wasps, rescue Cosmo’s uncle from being trapped on the seventh floor, and defend the castle from a bureaucrat intent on demolishing it. Brian is an observant, funny, and relatable protagonist, and the van Dashes are very much in the tradition of large, offbeat families from classic children’s literature. Graff (The Other Felix) fashions another fascinating character in the Matchstick Castle itself through detailed descriptions of its peculiar layout and secrets. Given the van Dash family’s knack for adventure, one can only hope Graff has plans for more “Boring” stories. Ages 8–12. Agent: Josh Getzler, Hannigan Salky Getzler.

November 1, 2016
With his father in Antarctica and his brothers enjoying adventurous summers elsewhere, Brian endures his in aptly named Boring, Illinois, beta testing Uncle Gary's educational software (Summer's Cool) alongside his unfriendly cousin, Nora, until a discovery in the woods changes everything. Uncle Gary's risk-averse parenting is a far cry from the comfortably laissez-faire style Brian's used to, and unlike the town, Summer's Cool doesn't live up to its billing. A tussle with Nora ends in a chase into the woods. Lost, they stumble upon the peculiar Matchstick Castle, crowned by a boat on the roof. They're warmly welcomed by a boy, Cosmo van Dash, who needs help tackling giant wasps currently infesting the premises. With Cosmo's aviatrix mother last heard from in Borneo, his father and uncles run an all-male household. The impulsive, impractical, high-spirited, and resilient van Dashes--and their castle--are far from boring. Offering badly needed problem-solving skills, Brian and Nora help control the wasps and locate Uncle Kingsley, lost inside the castle. Discovering that the Boring City Hall intends to demolish the castle within days, the van Dashes are defiant--while Brian and Nora counsel a practical approach, the van Dashes favor breaking into City Hall. Enjoyable mayhem ensues. Graff neatly contains his wacky plot within narrator Brian's Everykid voice, unspooling the looniness with transparent glee. Fast-paced, anarchic fun for reluctant and avid readers alike. (Fiction. 8-12)

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January 1, 2017

Gr 4-6-The last thing Brian wants to do is spend his summer with his aunt and uncle in Boring, IL. But since his scientist father is in Antarctica for the season, Brian is shipped off to the town that lives up to its name. Online summer school and his standoffish cousin, Nora, don't help matters. Then a fight between the cousins leads Brian and Nora to a large wooden house in the woods, and things finally start to get more interesting. The house belongs to an incredibly eccentric family who refer to the ramshackle building as a castle. The summer takes off with adventures thanks to Brian and Nora's new friend, Cosmo van Dash, the house's youngest resident. The trio encounter everything from wild boars and giant wasps to having to deal with a crazy bureaucrat who wants to destroy the "castle." This quirky novel is reminiscent of a Wes Anderson movie for the tweenage set. Strange families, dilapidated houses that may or may not be legitimate deathtraps, and oddball characters abound. The plot is winsome and well-thought-out, and the characters are likable. The van Dash uncles are goofy and will earn several laughs from readers. VERDICT For those who enjoy a bit of absurdist humor with their realism. Purchase where wacky middle grade adventure stories circulate well.-Paige Garrison, The Davis Academy, Sandy Springs, GA

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