The One Left Behind

I'm going to keep this simple - The One Left Behind is one book that you should leave behind. Here are the final words that Scholastic wrote on the back of the book:

"In her final book, Willo Davis Roberts proves once again why she is considered one of the greatest mystery writers for young readers. The One Left Behind is a haunting tale of love, loss, and - ultimately - hope."

Hello, Scholastic! Whoever wrote those words deserves a bonus! That's some real salesmanship there. (If you did not read those words with sarcasm, please go back and read them again. There....that was better.)

I've got nothing to which I can compare this book. I've never read anything else written by Willo Davis Roberts. I wouldn't have even read this book had it not been given to me. And don't get me wrong - this book is wholesome, doesn't cause me concern for anyone who reads it. I just think it's SLOW and BORING! It doesn't really get interesting until chapter 7, and there are only 11 chapters total. I think it's completely predictable - most of the pages I just glanced over, looking for where something would begin to happen.

A year ago, Mandy's twin sister died suddenly. While the rest of the family has begun to move on, it is understandably difficult for Mandy to do so. Her parents are going on a little trip, older brothers are staying with friends, and everyone thinks eleven-year-old Mandy is going with someone else. That's why she gets left at home alone - but in this small Michigan town, that's nothing to worry about. Nobody even locks their doors around here. But why the TV is on in the middle of the night, why peanut butter sandwich fixings are left out on the counter, and why the dirt from a flower pot that has been knocked over has a footprint in it are all mysteries to Mandy. (I'm really leaving you hanging here, just in case you ignore my recommendation and read this thing.)

I think if you are going to spend your time reading that you should make the reading worthwhile! Don't spend your time reading mindless drivel!!! (That's a purple word for all you MM students out there. FYI: "drivel" means nonsense - synonyms for drivel include "hogwash," "poppycock," "idiocy," "claptrap," and "twaddle." All purple words! What fun!)

Okay, there is one redeeming factor about this book - but I wouldn't read it just because of this. Mandy has an uncle who suffers from schizophrenia. He is supposed to take medication for it, but he says the medication makes him feel rotten. A woman at a grocery store gets wierded out because he is talking to the tomatoes. He believes that evil people are wearing masks, disguising themselves as his relatives. These examples are part of his illness. But I think Roberts does an admirable job in explaining schizophrenia in a compassionate way. Mandy thinks: "Uncle Frank couldn't help the way he was. For the most part he was not dangerous, though strangers often perceived that he was, and taking the drugs the doctors wanted him to take made him feel so horrible he'd rather be thought insane than deal with the unpleasant side effects....There were a lot of things in life that didn't seem to have any satisfactory answers or solutions."

Schizophrenia and purple words. That's all you're getting out of this review. If you do read The One Left Behind and agree with Scholastic, then you are crazy and full of balderdash! (Purple word.)

The 39 Clues

Over Christmas Break, I decided to read the first book in The 39 Clues series. Then I decided to read all of the books published so far - that means 6 books out of the 10 that Scholastic has planned to publish.

The 39 Clues series follows the story of Amy and Dan Cahill, middle school aged siblings who lost their parents in a fire when they were very young. Now they have also lost their grandmother to cancer. At the reading of her will she gives her relatives a choice - accept a check for one million dollars, or forfeit the check to have a chance to search for 39 clues which when put together properly, will make you the most influential person in the world.

Oh, and by the way, if the Clues fall into the wrong hands, it could mean the end of the world as we know it.

Amy and Dan travel all over the world looking for clues. At every turn, their lives are threatened by their own relatives who are also in the hunt for the Clues. The coolest thing about the series is how they teach you about people in history and take you to see things and places that you wouldn't normally see in books. The stories move quickly and are fairly interesting, and they certainly set you up to want to read the next book...but let me tell you what kind of racket is going on here!

Scholastic created this series to fill a gap in the market left by the end of the Harry Potter series - and boy have they done a first rate job. Each book at regular price is $13 - and all hardcover. They have to be hardcover because inside each cover are six clue cards. You use these to play the online game in search of the 39 clues. Why must you play the online game? Because so far in 6 books, Amy and Dan have only found 6 clues and been given 1 or 2 more. Do the math - that rate is not going to get us to 39 clues, people!

Each set of cards has a code at the bottom that you type into the website. That's great. I thought I would save money and check the books out at the library. Some of them had been read before, but two of them were brand new. When I went to plug in the card codes, the ones from the new books were fine, but I learned that if kids had used the codes from the other books already, I couldn't use them too. That means you've got to buy the books yourself. There are also extra card packs that you can buy. Holy Schmoley! I figure you could easily spend upwards of $200 by the time this is all said and done. Way to go, Scholastic!

It kind of puts a damper on the excitement of the series for me. From what I've read online, Spielberg is looking to make 3-4 movies on the series, there is a board game, and the marketing continues. I wonder how long Scholastic et al will be able to ride this bankable wave!