The Seventh Level

by Jody Feldman

Overview

Lauer Middle School has a super-secret society—The Legend. No one knows who is in it. Or how they pull off the spectacular schoolwide events.

Seventh grader Travis Raines may be about to find out. A shiny blue envelope marked For Your Eyes Only mysteriously appears in his locker. You have been chosen, the message says. But if Travis is to become Legendary, he must first solve a series of mind-bending puzzles and complete their challenges. Then he needs to stay out of trouble. The assistant principal has her eye on him. So do his parents.

And even if he does all that's asked of him, Travis still has one question: is the message really from the Legend?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780061999659
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	03/19/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	308
Lexile:	630L (what's this?)
File size:	441 KB
Age Range:	1 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jody Feldman has always loved riddles and brainteasers and word games, and she lives in a city on a river whose name contains four s's, two p's, and four i's. Jody has written as many books for young readers as there are players in a doubles tennis match. To find out how many brothers she has, take the number of bases on a baseball diamond and divide it by the number of times Grover Cleveland was president of the United States.

Editorial Reviews

Twelve-year-old Travis is desperate to solve the seven puzzles that will allow him to become part of "The Legend," a mysterious school society about which "no one knows anything... except the members always use blue, they put on amazing school events, and they make you pass a test before they let you in." Unfortunately, there are a few things in Travis's way: the assistant principal, who follows his every move after catching him hanging off the school rooftop; his curious friends, who aren't allowed to be in on the secret; his nemesis, Randall; and a teacher who always finds Travis in the wrong place at the wrong time. Despite the setbacks, Travis's boundless energy and inquisitive, mathematical mind allow him to zip through the puzzles until he realizes that something fishy is going on, and winds up confronted by a bigger mystery than he imagined. Feldman's (The Gollywhopper Games) story moves at warp speed, with the momentum of Travis's strong-spirited whims, resulting in a weightless, but nimble mystery with solid middle-grade appeal. Ages 10–up. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for The Gollywhopper Games: “Good fun for puzzle addicts, with plenty of action and the suspense only a ticking timer can offer.” — Kirkus Reviews

“The invitation to play along keeps readers tuned in.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Nonstop action, appealing pencil illustrations, and increasingly difficult brainteasers will keep readers engaged.” — ALA Booklist

“So much fun!” — Kidsreads.com

“A Dan Brown–type story for kids.” — ALA Booklist

From the Publisher

The invitation to play along keeps readers tuned in.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

So much fun!

Kidsreads.com

Nonstop action, appealing pencil illustrations, and increasingly difficult brainteasers will keep readers engaged.

ALA Booklist

The invitation to play along keeps readers tuned in.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

The invitation to play along keeps readers tuned in.

The Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books

Gr 5–8—Travis Raines thinks he is being considered for The Legend, a secret society at his middle school. He receives blue envelopes that are labeled, "For Your Eyes Only." Over a couple of weeks, he is asked to complete seven puzzles and their corresponding tasks, and he must keep everything a secret. He also needs to do what he's been told without getting into trouble, which is tough when people don't take him seriously. Furthermore, some of the tasks have a cruel undertone. Could the messages really be from The Legend, or are they from an impostor group trying to get Travis in trouble? While the idea is exciting, the plot never quite reaches its potential. At times, the story is slow moving and even somewhat confusing. While Travis's characterization is complete, the others lack depth. The book does have strengths, though: the puzzles are fun to solve, the mystery of the envelopes is appealing, and Travis is a likable protagonist.—Sarah K. Allen, Elko Middle School, Sandston, VA

School Library Journal

At Lauer Middle School, an invitation to join "The Legend," a supersecret group that plans community-service projects, is the most exciting honor imaginable. Seventh grader Travis Raines isn't particularly brainy; he excels at getting into innocent trouble. He's also pretty good at getting out of it. When a shiny blue envelope appears in his locker with a brainteaser and a set of rules, Travis can't believe The Legend wants him. As usual, he ends up getting in his own way and runs afoul of the vice-principal in charge of discipline. Can he follow all the rules while navigating the seven levels of induction into The Legend and find out who keeps trying to get him in deeper trouble? Feldman's second puzzlecentric effort is a mixed bag at best (The Gollywhopper Games, 2008). The mostly dull plot hangs on coincidence and isn't saved by the seemingly random puzzles, some of which are anything but puzzling. Moreover, Travis's distracting, vigorous and entirely un-seventh grader-like use of the word "oaf" defies credibility. Give your brainteaser fans Carey Benedict's The Unknowns (2009) instead. (Mystery. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews