Module 5: Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians

Summary. Alcatraz Smedry has an important talent: breaking things. He dismisses this as a personal failing until the day his grandfather, Leavenworth Smedry, shows up. He's late, of course. Grandpa Smedry is always late. That's HIS valuable talent. He can show up late to his own death, for instance, which often comes in handy. Once they've gathered their team of warriors, including a 300-lb. Mokian named Sing Sing and 13 year-old Bastille, their knight, they set out on their quest. They must recover Alcatraz's birthday present, the Sands of Rashid, from the Evil Librarians who stole it. If they fail, the Librarians will be able to rule the entire world. Fortunately, there are some talking dinosaurs in the downtown library that ... oh, no, I'm not going to spoil it. If this sounds convoluted, it is. But zany, hilarious, tongue-in-cheek, and eminently enjoyable.

Citation. Sanderson, Brandon. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians. NY: Scholastic, 2007. Print.

My Impressions. I love this book. Not everyone will appreciate Sanderson's brand of humor, but I do. It's a great spoof on the world of libraries, information, quests, technology ... you name it. You have to enjoy the language for it to be fun; I would recommend reading pages 1-2 to decide if it appeals. Sanderson inserts comments from Alcatraz spoken directly to the reader throughout; this, he claims, is just one more way that authors can torture their audiences. "The simple truth is that authors like making people squirm" (p. 166). Not your typical fantasy quest, to be sure, but one that will have appreciative readers begging for more. Ages 9 and up.

Library Uses. This tale could be the opener for a discussion of humor and uses of language. I'd love to see kids create a comic-strip version of a scene they like. It could also be part of a discussion on what librarians can and can't do, what information allows us to "know" or "understand," and whether dinosaurs really ARE extinct.

Reviews. (School Library Journal) Gr 5-8-The conventional trappings of the middle-school fantasy get turned upside down in this zany novel. Alcatraz is a 13-year-old boy with hidden powers, but his talent is "breaking things." The powerful object he must find is a bag of sand, he battles monsters made of paper, and his arch nemeses are evil librarians. It all sounds ludicrous, but there is actually some consistent logic that makes the adventures engaging, as well as silly. Seemingly random insertions, such as a bunch of very civilized dinosaurs that speak with English accents, later play key roles in the plot development. Alcatraz opens nearly every chapter by addressing readers directly, and frequently interrupts the narrative, a technique that adds to the enjoyable bizarreness. He reflects flippantly upon writing techniques, gives broad hints about what may happen next, and even tells outright lies about his own story. It takes a while to adjust to this intentionally chaotic narration, but it ultimately becomes quite effective. The details of this fantasy world, where librarians dominate "Hushlanders" by withholding information about many things, including the existence of three other continents, make just enough sense to frame the sometimes frantic plot. Though there's intentionally more humor than drama, Alcatraz becomes a more complex figure by the time his adventure is through as he discovers the value of friendship, courage, and family. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world.-Steven Engelfried, Multnomah County Library, OR Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.

(Publisher's Weekly) ...On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz Smedry receives an unusual "gift" in the form of a bag of sand said to be the inheritance of his long-dead parents. The boy soon discovers his very gnarled family tree-and the reason why he and his relatives are in a battle with the evil librarians of Hushland (aka the United States), who selectively dole out and distort information to keep Hushlanders in the dark about the "real" world. The quirky characters (many named after famous prisons), the bursts of derring-do and absurd twists make good fodder for a fast-paced outing. But these elements come embedded in a text that depends on a series of asides to lampoon writing styles and devices of better-known works. ... Those wanting a linear tale are out of luck, although the snarkier set, among them Lemony Snicket fans, may want to hang on for the ride. Ages 9-up. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information (excerpted from review of audio version)