Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones

Our family enjoyed ALCATRAZ vs THE EVIL LIBRARIANS so much that the sequel caused serious negotiations as to who had the right to read first and would that person please not spoil the plot by telling it! Both books (ALCATRAZ vs THE EVIL LIBRARIANS & ALCATRAZ vs THE SCRIVENER'S BONES) are fun light reads that also hit you with very poignant observations on life. This makes it great for kids & adults.

Brandon Sanderson demonstrates his writing range, with the dichotomy of his adult fantasy Mistborn series, against the goofy young adult Alcatraz series. Alcatraz Smedry is an Occulator, a type of magician, with a Talent (big T) for breaking things. His opponents are the Evil Librarians, and in Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones, he's headed to the Library of Alexandria, to find his missing grandfather (whose Talent is always being late) and to thwart the latest plot by the Evil Librarians. So many of the Young Adult books recently published are trying to copy the Harry Potter formula for wealth and success. Sanderson is headed for the Young Indiana Jones stories, just with magic and absurdity. While aimed at a YA audience, the Alcatraz books should find a willing audience in adults; those parents of the target audience, and Sanderson's own adult fans of his fantasy.

Sanderson, B. (2008). Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones. New York: Scholastic Press. 0439925533 So I know I reviewed the first Alcatraz book a few weeks ago, but what can I say, I enjoyed it. So here's the second book. This time around, Alcatraz must search for his father and grandfather in the great Library of Alexandria (turns out it wasn't destroyed, just moved. It's a conspiracy). While I will admit to loving this fantasy/science fiction series, I have a very small bone to pick with the titles. While the `versus' technique is cute on one hand, it always places Alcatraz in opposition. But on the other hand, opposition creates tension and tension helps make for a good read. But on the other hand, in a binary infested world do we really need more binaries. Hmmm. That's enough rambling and too many hands. Now lets move on to the opening sentence. The "So, there I was," phrasing is used in both books multiple times. This could turn into a fun writing exercise to do with students--Have them create their own stories beginning with "So, there I was...." Once again, Sanderson includes the use of guns and violence in the book with no serious consequences. (however there is a repeated promise of death to the character, Bastille) On the plus side though, Sanderson maintains the strength of his enjoyable and humorous meta-narrative that explores the conditions of leadership and heroism. I made be forced to add him to the short list of authors that I would marry no questions asked. (This is a big deal, guys! This is a very short list and Sanderson just might get his name put on it). Activities to do with the book: Along with considering discussions of how to construct a tense and drama -filled narrative, students can also discuss if Alcatraz is a trustworthy narrator. Another discussion would be to consider the way Western culture is viewed in the Alcatraz books. A reader can feel like an anthropologist, examining their own culture. Overall, Alcatraz's sarcastic voice could manage to entice many struggling readers. If that is the case, it's important to maintain the sense of fun inherent in this series. Favorite Quotes: "You think you know me. You've listened to the storytellers. You've talked with your friends about my exploits. You've read history books and heard the criers tell of my heroic deeds. The trouble is, the only people who are bigger liars than myself are the people who like to talk about me" (Foreword). For some reason, the more powerful a pair of Oculatory Lenses is, the less cool they tend to look. I'm developing a theory about it--the Law of Disproportional Lameness.)" (p. 2). "I feel I need to break the action here to warn you that I frequently break the action to mention trivial things" (p. 7). FOR MORE OF MY LITERATURE REVIEWS, VISIT sjkessel.blogspot.com

Finally. A sequel worthy of its predecessor. Alcatraz Smedry is on a mission to the Library of Alexandria (which still exists, though the evil librarians don't want you do know that), one that will have you sitting at the edge of your seat and rolling on the floor, dying of laughter at the same time. Sanderson's witty and sarcastic voice keeps the book rushing along at a fast pace. This is one book you definitely don't want to miss.

I have waited all my life for someone to write books like these, books that defy the Law of Conservation of Awesomeness. This law states, basically, that fiction with really awesome and exciting action scenes must have stupid plots, flat characters, and nothing important to say. Brandon Sanderson's "Alcatraz" series shatters this principle. Sanderson's genius is his ability to draw tension out of thin air. Combine this with the dizzying sophistication of multiple systems of magic use, an evil librarian conspiracy that covers up true world history and geography, quirky characters, and a fresh voice that breaks all the rules of traditional story narration, and you get a book that my husband, three children, and I all fought to be the first one to finish reading. All week you could hear someone snickering at the jokes or moaning at the suspense, with shouts in the background of, "DON'T TELL ME I HAVEN'T READ THAT PART YET!!!" Alcatraz Smedry, the true author of the book (he publishes under Brandon Sanderson's name to avoid detection by the cult of evil librarians), intermixes his edge-of-your-seat narrative with snarky personal insights into subjects like literary fiction, philosophy, real adults vs. fictional adults, truth in storytelling, and perception vs. reality. This book completely defies gravity as a light, funny, fast paced, and thought-provoking read.