Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians

by Brandon Sanderson, Hayley Lazo (Illustrator)

Overview

Now in paperback for the first time, featuring all new covers, the Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians middle-grade series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.

On his thirteenth birthday, foster child Alcatraz Smedry gets a bag of sand in the mail – his only inheritance from his father and mother. He soon learns that this is no ordinary bag of sand. It is quickly stolen by the cult of evil Librarians who are taking over the world by spreading misinformation and suppressing truth. Alcatraz must stop them, using the only weapon he has: an incredible talent for breaking things.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians is the first book in this action-packed fantasy series for young readers.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765378958
Publisher:	Tom Doherty Associates
Publication date:	05/03/2022
Series:	Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians Series , #1
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.38(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

BRANDON SANDERSON is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Rithmatist and Steelheart, both of which were selected for the American Library Association's Teens' Top Ten list. He's also written many popular and award-winning books for adults. His middle grade series, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians, is now available in deluxe editions.

Editorial Reviews

“This is an excellent choice to read aloud to the whole family. It's funny, exciting, and briskly paced. Best of all, the message it gives young readers is that a person's flaws-being late, breaking things, etc.-can sometimes turn into useful talents.” —Nancy Pearl on NPR'S Morning Edition

“A happily action-packed romp, with just the right amount of repartee between Alcatraz and his cantankerous teenage protector Bastille, and a cliffhanger ending that promises more of the same. Plus dinosaurs in tweed vests. Who could ask for more?” —Horn Book

“In this original, hysterical homage to fantasy literature, Sanderson's first novel for youth recalls the best in Artemis Fowl and A Series of Unfortunate Events.” —VOYA

From the Publisher

Gr 5–8—Alcatraz Smedry has been in and out of foster homes due to his proclivity to break just about anything he touches. He fears that he will have never have a true family. Enter his long lost grandfather who challenges everything the boy has ever known. All of a sudden Alcatraz is thrown into a world of evil librarians, talking dinosaurs, and glasses that give him the ability to see and do things he never thought possible. Alcatraz tells his own tale, often interrupting to clarify aspects of the story for listeners. The chatty tone works well in audio format, but there are times when the humor becomes repetitive and overdone. Despite this flaw, narrator Ramon de Ocampo's ability to combine a pinch of vulnerability with Alcatraz's surly sarcasm makes him a sympathetic if not completely likeable character. He also manages to juggle a variety of other voices both human and inhuman, including dinosaurs with scholarly British accents. Listeners who enjoyed Lemony Snicket's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" are sure to be big fans of Brandon Sanderson's tale (Scholastic, 2007) and will eagerly await the next adventure.—Shari Fesko, Southfield Public Library, MI

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