Nightmare at the Book Fair

My ten year old son, an avid reader, whipped through this book--mostly because he couldn't put it down. It was a great diversion from the weightier stuff he has to read for school, as well as some of the other Gutman books. Good fun.

Trip Dinkleman is looking forward to going out for lacrosse. On his way to tryouts, he gets waylaid at the media center. Trip notices a big sign on the wall that reads "THIS WAY TO THE BOOK FAIR!" There is nothing in the world less interesting to him than a book fair because he doesn't like to read. Reading is just plain boring. While he's thinking about how much he detests reading, Mrs. Pontoon, the PTA president, asks him to help move book boxes. She says it will only be for a few minutes. As Trip maneuvers an extremely heavy crate of books, it keels over and lands on his head. And when he opens his eyes, he finds that he is a character in the middle of a horror story called "Sugar Shock." He's invited into a haunted house by a girl who swears it's the scariest haunted house he'll ever enter. Of course, Trip is a little bit disoriented by finding himself at a boardwalk instead of the school's media center, but he decides not to worry about it and just go with the flow. However, the haunted house is beyond creepy. He screams out loud when he sees a cat with a dog's face. Then he's tempted by a funnel cake displayed in the haunted house's kitchen. There's nothing Trip loves more than a good funnel cake. He can't resist taking a big bite...and then finds out about the secret ingredient (yech!) just when a fellow named Professor Psycho is about to get the best of him... Trip finds himself starring in a sports fiction story called "The Game on the Line." Can he save the day for his team, playing in the Super Bowl? But that's just the first of many questions for our hero as he enters story after story in genres covering adventure, science fiction (aliens try to save the world!), humor (slapstick silliness complete with tons of "boy" jokes), mystery, reference (definitions with a hidden message), historical fiction (in which Trip finds himself on the Apollo 11), easy reader (a poem that inspired the author to apologize to Dr. Seuss), animal fiction, fantasy, and a gender-bending girls' fiction story. Trip's adventures end with a final wink and a nod to THE WIZARD OF OZ. The tongue-in-cheek fantasy "The Quest for the Gold-Plated Knick-Knack" is an especially appealing rib-tickler. It opens with the description "ice formed on the dell like the sound of invisible feet bathing delicately in the shaded depths and ancient whispers of twilight's soft darkness," continuing on in that manner until concluding, "But it doesn't matter, because none of that crap makes any sense." Next, Trip meets the judicious and mystical mentor named Hockaloogie, who explains that his purpose in the plot is to show up randomly, speak in Old English and not give away important information...just because. Readers (including reluctant ones) will enjoy the genius concept of these rapid-fire stories, covering such a wide spectrum of genres. The stories themselves are filled with adventure and humor, and move at a rapid pace. Although Trip himself could be a little more fleshed ou

My seven-year-old would give this book ten stars if he could. (He was actually VERY upset this wasn't a series as he wanted to read more!) My son is a very advanced reader (they have tested him at the junior high level) but he still is very much a fun loving kid with a wicked sense of humor. I often have trouble finding books that are socially/developmentally appropriate in content and that are challenging enough to keep his interest. We are both a big fan of Dan Gutman's humor and love his "My Weird School" series of books and appreciate the silly laughs (although sometimes a bit inappropriate) and so I let my son read this book without reading it first. He finished the book in a night and begged for more. I was intrigued so when I sat down to read it I was surprised by some of the adult content. Obviously this was my mistake for giving it to him without checking it first. I would definitely recommended this book for children 11+ but of course each parent knows their child best and can determine what is appropriate for themselves and their families. It is a quick read, very fast paced, and holds the reader's attention because of the fact that it is like a collection of short stories all in one book. However, because it is a series of intertwined short stories there is not deep character development or a rich story line. I view this book as a "fun" book that is meant to be read for enjoyment, like a comic strip, and is a good way to get reluctant readers to start reading or balance out the denser/thicker/heavier books for avid readers. My son calls books like these "dessert books," he doesn't read them all the time but enjoys them immensely when he does. Our family enjoys the brand of humor employed in Mr. Gutman's books but I would caution parents to pre-read this book before giving it to a child to make sure that you are okay with the content.

NIGHTMARE AT THE BOOK FAIR by Dan Gutman is an enjoyable book that should get young readers interested in reading. The story revolves around Trip Dinkleman, a teenage boy who lives for playing sports, hates reading books, and loves funnel cake. Trip gets roped into helping set up the book fair, gets hit on the head and finds himself lost on adventure after adventure as he becomes the main character in almost every type of genre known to books. From horror to history to science fiction to mystery, Trip jumps from character to character--reminiscent of the character Sam Beckett in the TV show Quantum Leap - The Complete First Season--desperately trying to find his way back home. Along the way, Trip and the reader discover the joy of reading a good book. The author, Dan Gutman, separates each chapter into different categories (i.e. horror, sports fiction, etc.) and allows young readers to experience each type of genre through the main character. Blending pop culture and references that today's kids can recognize, Gutman has created a memorable story and main character that also teaches the fun that can be found in a book. NIGHTMARE AT THE BOOK FAIR is a great book to give to kids who are starting chapter books or to those who hate reading. Unfortunately there aren't any illustrations but Gutman writes vividly and that should spark the imagination.

Trip had no idea of how dangerous the library could be - all he knows is that he absolutely hates to read, and just wants to play lacrosse. Perhaps it's destiny that a stack of books knocks him cold - and that he wakes up with no idea of where he is, facing a dangerous new world in which book fantasy seems to have spawned a new reality. NIGHTMARE AT THE BOOK FAIR is fun, unpredictable and packed with satisfying twists and turns even non-readers will relish.