Book Review of Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson 308 pages. Scholastic Press, c2007. $11.55

 I picked up this book after reading a review from Esme Raji Codell (Check out her blog review here at PlanetEsme).  She was so enthusiastic, I had to try it!
Alcatraz narrates this story.  He tells us of his hard life as a foster child.  He has an uncanny ability to break things.  On his thirteenth birthday, he receives a bag of sand from his Dad for his birthday.  This sends him on a most unusual adventure, where he learns about his family and the true nature of librarians.
There were a couple of passages that I really enjoyed.  Alcatraz takes the time to describe what a real library looks like (not the ones we are used to).   He says,

"Dust settles on the books like a gray perversion of rain forest moss, giving the air a certain moldy, unwelcome scent faintly reminiscent of a baledragon's lair.  At each corner, you expect to turn and see the withered, skeletal remains of some poor researcher who got lost in the stacks and never found his way out."  (p. 114)    

 
My absolute favorite part was Alcactraz's rant on people who read the last page of a story first (I really hate that!!  Don't do it!!).  He says,

"You could even scan to the end and read the last page.  Know that by doing so, however, you would violate every holy and honorable story-telling principle known to man, thereby throwing the universe into chaos and causing grief to untold millions." (p. 236)    

It was a fun little book.  I think a third grade boy would just love it.  It took me a while to get through.  It just wasn't a page turner for me.  But it was funny and quirky - time well spent.