Synopses & Reviews
Enter a wonderful world filled with real magic, mystery, and danger.
As if being small and having S. Horten as his name isn't bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends.But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart's swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony--a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth--and Tony's marvelous, long-lost workshop. Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician who's also desperate to get hold of Tony's treasures.
A quirky, smart, charming page-turner, Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms will enchant young readers--as well as teachers, librarians, and parents. Long-listed for the Carnegie Medal (2012) and the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (2011)
Review
“Small Stuart embarks on an awfully big adventure in this quirky puzzle-solving novel….Each more curious than the one before, the far-fetched solutions they require bring the book to a hugely satisfying conclusion.” --
The Guardian “An adventure that will enthrall smaller people and the adults reading to them in equal measure.” --The Independent
“The action cracks along at a good pace and is a brilliant pre-teen magical mystery story.” --The Bookbag
“This story has time travel, dastardly villains, lots of machinery and some seriously good adventures!” --Fun Kids
Review
"Wacky, funny and ever so mysterious, this clever tale hits the ground running and never lets up.Very short 10-year-old Stuart Horten—S. Horten, get it?—thinks hes facing a long, boring summer when his parents pack the three of them up and move to his fathers hometown as school lets out. His parents are a pleasantly oblivious pair: His mom is an unimaginative doctor, and his father designs crosswords for a living. (He joyfully tosses around hundred-dollar words like 'prestidigitator' and 'perambulation.') Stuart quickly discovers the long-abandoned home of his great uncle Teeny-Tiny Tony Horton, a famous magician who disappeared 50 years before, and the puzzle box left to his incurious father. Resourceful Stuart wants to learn more, but hes plagued by the girl next door, whos intently following him everywhere. Just as a fabulous clue appears in a vandalized phone booth, the prying girl, April, shows up, and it turns out shes identical twins—oh, no! triplets—April, May and June. And theyre shortly followed by the villainous, entrepreneurial Jeannie, hot on Stuarts heels. The pace is rapid, the clues to Tonys disappearance are intriguing and the characters are vividly—often hilariously—drawn. Irony runs hand in hand with just enough believable danger to create palpable tension.A vastly engaging, must-read mystery infused with the perfect touch of captivating conjuration—er, magic." --
Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) “Evans borrows several classic tropes and themes-magic, riddles, a quest, and even a night at a museum-for the entertaining story of 10-year-old Stuart Horten (often nicknamed “Shorten” for his small stature) who stumbles into a family mystery when he and his parents move to the small British town of Beeton. There, Stuart discovers that his Great-Uncle Tony Horten, who disappeared years ago without a trace, was both an inventor of mechanical devices and a magician. A chance phone call in a broken phone booth is the first step in a journey that leads Stuart around town, as he unearths his great-uncle's legacy and secrets. Stuart also draws the attention of April, May, and June (the journalistically inclined triplets next door), as well as Beeton residents with more sinister intentions. Evans has crafted an old-fashioned mystery of the kids-besting-clueless-adults variety. Stuart's dweeby parents are particularly hapless (his father, a crossword puzzle creator, regularly drops lines like “Behold, I bring hydration for your powwow”). First published in the U.K., Evans's story leaves the door open for the sequel due in September.” --
Publishers Weekly“Stuart is a likable, plucky little guy, the Charlie Bucket to great-uncle Tony's Willy Wonka…The elements of magical realism that waft through the narrative keep things humming along nicely. This British import, long listed for the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, leaves the door ajar for more adventures.” --Booklist “Small Stuart embarks on an awfully big adventure in this quirky puzzle-solving novel….Each more curious than the one before, the far-fetched solutions they require bring the book to a hugely satisfying conclusion.” --The Guardian
“An adventure that will enthrall smaller people and the adults reading to them in equal measure.” --The Independent
“The action cracks along at a good pace and is a brilliant pre-teen magical mystery story.” --The Bookbag
“This story has time travel, dastardly villains, lots of machinery and some seriously good adventures!” --Fun Kids
Review
A National Book Award Nominee
* andquot;An enchanting, empowering, and cozy read.andquot;
andmdash;Booklist, starred review
* andquot;An abundantly diverting mystery.andquot;
andmdash;Kirkus, starred review
andquot;The legends and folktales Milford creates add to Nagspeakeand#39;s charm and gently prepare the ground for a fantasy twist.andquot;
andmdash;Publishers Weekly
andquot;Give this one to fans of Trenton Lee Stewartand#39;s The Mysterious Benedict Society.andquot;
andmdash;School Library Journal
andquot;The intricately woven connections, large cast of memorable characters, and beautifully detailed writing come together to make this exceptionally engaging story leap off the page.andquot;
andmdash;VOYA
andquot;Milford employs a Westing Game level of cunning in setting up clues, revealing their importance, and immediately pivoting to a higher level of mystery, gratifying readers as she pulls them into the story.andquot;
andmdash;Horn Book Magazine
Review
andldquo;Zack is a relatable narrator and embodies the middle school experience. The steady pace makes this novel a solid pick for reluctant readers.andrdquo; andmdash;
School Library Journal andldquo;Zack . . . is a sympathetic narrator, and Anderson spiritedly renders the voices and personalities of preteens, many of Mexican descent, in a blue-collar section of San Antonio, Tex. . . . [A] pleasantly satisfying finish.andrdquo; andmdash;Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
A rambling old inn, a strange map, an attic packed with treasures, squabbling guests, theft, friendship, and an unusual haunting mark this smartand#160;middle gradeand#160;mystery in the tradition of the Mysterious Benedict Society books and The Westing Game.
Synopsis
National Book Award Nominee Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery
Nebula/Andre Norton Award Nominee
New York Timesand#160;Bestseller
Itandrsquo;s wintertime at Greenglass House. The creaky smugglerandrsquo;s inn is always quiet during this season, and twelve-year-old Milo, the innkeepersandrsquo; adopted son, plans to spend his holidays relaxing. But on the first icy night of vacation, out of nowhere, the guest bell rings. Then rings again. And again. Soon Miloandrsquo;s home is bursting with odd, secretive guests, each one bearing a strange story that is somehow connected to the rambling old house. As objects go missing and tempers flare, Milo and Meddy, the cookandrsquo;s daughter, must decipher clues and untangle the web of deepening mysteries to discover the truth about Greenglass Houseandmdash;and themselves.
Synopsis
Twelve-year-old Zack Delacruz has remained happily unnoticed at his middle schoolandmdash;until now. He takes the advice he hears at an assembly and stands up to the class bully. Somehow this uncharacteristic behavior gets Zack labeled a leader and put in charge of the sixth-grade dance fundraiser with none other than the bully himself! Middle school was starting out hard enough for Zack without this extra pressure and attention. His situation goes from bad to worse when Zack learns that his best salesperson for the chocolate bar fundraiser has been EATING, not selling, her candy bars. The mayhem continues with a hilarious andldquo;intervention,andrdquo; a desperate effort to raise money, a scary meeting with the principal, and even water balloons filled with pee. Zack never wanted to be the class hero, but with the hopes of the entire sixth grade on the line, can he save the day?
Synopsis
Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle schoolandmdash;and thatandrsquo;s just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fundraiser. Worse, his partner is the schoolandrsquo;s biggest bully! If they donandrsquo;t sell all the chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. and#160;Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmatesandrsquo; hopes on the line, can he save the day?
About the Author
Lissa Evans, who resides in London with her husband and two daughters, has traveled quite a mysterious path of her own to middle-grade novelist. After a brief career in medicine and an even briefer one in stand-up comedy, Lissa became a comedy producer and spent a decade running a red pencil through other people's work before eventually beginning to write herself. Lissa has written three adult novels and a picture book. This is her first work of middle-grade fiction.