Danger Guys

Just call me Noodle! You might as well, since that's what my son now calls me. But then again, he's become Zeek, and together we're the DANGER GUYS! Mom doesn't understand yet, but hey, she hasn't read the first installment in Tony Abbott's hugely entertaining Danger Guys series. You see, one morning Noodle Newton and his best friend Zeek Pilinsky rush off to the grand opening of the new adventure store, Danger Guys. These kids revel in adventure, and they covet the physical manifestations of grand exploration. In other words, they're into the "gear" - leather jackets, army belts, backpacks, flashlights, ropes, mess kits, weather balloons - you get the idea -- and the Danger Guys store is brimming with all the right "stuff." But before the boys catch their breath, they've unwittingly stepped into a swashbuckling chain of events reminiscent of Indiana Jones at his best. Fortunately, Zeek and Noodle are resilient and resourceful, and they leverage their limited resources to foil the bad guys' nefarious plans. The action proceeds at a brisk pace, with crisp descriptions of surprising obstacles and unexpected challenges. There's just enough black-and-white art preceding each chapter to continuously draw the young readers in and to propel the story along. The author skillfully subjects the intrepid duo to seemingly insurmountable challenges, while avoiding needless gore and without scaring young readers. Danger Guys is the kind of light-hearted, rollicking romp that parents will enjoy reading, particularly to the extent that it makes their little folks crave more. My son can't wait to read the next installment, Danger Guys Blast Off. As for me, I'll simply agree with Noodle and Zeek - "it just doesn't get any better."

I currently teach first grade. I was looking for a book that was something I could read to the class that had chapters. I found Danger Guys and was pleasantly surprised to see how well it worked as a read-out-loud book. There are lots of sound effects and action that keep first graders interested. They have begged me to read them the next books in the series, because they got very attached to the characters Zeek and Noodle. Over-all, its a very good book.