Tween Tuesday: Horton Halfpott by Tom Angleberger

4 very enjoyable peanut butter cookies.

Cover Love:
Yes. It captures crazy feel of the book.

Why I Wanted to Read This:
The title. I love the title. That and the cover made me want to read this book. Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:

Tom Angleberger's latest, loopiest middle-grade novel begins when M'Lady Luggertuck loosens her corset (it's never been loosened before!), thereby setting off a chain of events in which all the strict rules of Smugwick Manor are abandoned. When, as a result of "the Loosening," the precious family heirloom, the Luggertuck Lump (quite literally a lump), goes missing, the Luggertucks look for someone to blame. Is it Horton Halfpott, the good-natured but lowly kitchen boy who can't tell a lie? Or one of the many colorful cast members in this silly romp of a mystery.

I Kept Reading Because:
It was fun and quick. And I had to find out who did it!

Romance?: Yes! A very sweet, little one.

What I Liked (& Didn't):
There should be a genre called the "Roald Dahl" genre because there are certain books that don't really fit anywhere else. They have fantasy elements, but aren't really fantasy books. Two that I read last year that come to mind are The Kneebone Boy and The Death (and Further) Adventures of Silas Winterbottom. This book also brings the Roald Dahl genre to mind.

There are wacky, over-the-top characters.

There is a main character with a heart of gold. One you are totally rooting for.

There is an author who writes like he is just chatting with you.

There is humor, a mystery and adorable, interesting illustrations. It is also very fast paced. It comes in a fun package and is a fun read!

This is my first Tom Angleberger book (but his first book The Strange Case of Origami Yoda is one of the hottest books in my library). I opened to the front cover and found that he had dedicated his book the John Christopher. JOHN CHRISTOPHER . For those who don't know he is a wonderful science fiction author from the 50's and 60's. I don't think his books were ever really mainstream but I can tell you that he wrote dystopian books before it was even a separate genre! His Tripods series remains a favorite of mine. Needless to say, I felt an immediate kinship with Mr. Angleberger.

Anyway, I enjoyed Mr. Angleberger's writing immensely and will be reading Yoda this summer. And when you have the child who wants a funny book hand them this one.

To Sum Up: Enjoyable, funny and whimsical, a very good read!