Villain's Lair

My nephew went through all of the Shredderman books over the summer (he's 7.) -- He loved them and was totally engaged in them, always trying to predict what would come next. They are also very funny books and we laughed a lot when we read them. -- I loved those books because they fill a difficult niche in books. Between easy chapter books and the 9-12 year old shelves. While they are challenging, our second grader can read them if he pays attention. I typed about 250 words into Word and checked the Flesch-Kinkaid Grade Level. They come in around 3.5; that is roughly third grade level. I've found it very hard to find books that seems like a real book and tell a great story and still are at a good level for a kid whose not ready for full kids novels. If your kid is stuck in the empty zone between the easy chapter books and the more advanced 9-12 aged books, these are great. -- We started the first Gecko and Sticky book the other day, and we are laughing every bit as much as with the Shredderman books, and he's just as involved in the story. I'm glad there are a bunch of these books. I think we'll be reading them for a while. -- We read these on the Kindle, and the pictures are very well rendered and very nice. It's a great Kindle book for kids.

My 9 year old son absolutely LOVES these books. It's supspenseful adventure & also hilarious. My son read these really quickly...couldn't put them down. Of course, my son loves lizards and has a pet leopard gecko, so he can really relate to this character too. We can't wait for the next installment coming in Jan 2010. :-)

Dave Sanchez is your typical 13-year-old boy living the normal life. He has normal parents, a normal bratty sister, a normal crush on the girl next door, and a normal routine of going to school and working as an errand-boy after school. There is, however, nothing normal about a talking gecko lizard who likes to steal things, a dastardly villain who holds an ancient power, or a mariachi band made up of brothers who aren't really brothers. Somehow normal Dave becomes mixed up in the middle of this abnormal group of people, and he doesn't know quite what to do about it. But wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's start with Sticky, the talking Gecko lizard. In most instances, Gecko lizards can't talk --- or steal things --- but Sticky is quite real and has a real problem of taking things that don't belong to him. This time his sticky hands have landed an ancient Aztec wristband that promises incredible powers to the person wearing it. The wristband, though, doesn't work without power ingots: notched Aztec coins that click into the wristband. The person with these magical ingots is none other than the most evil and diabolical treasure hunter in the world --- Damien Black. Damien Black, as you can imagine, is less than thrilled to discover that a lizard has stolen his most prized possession. He'll stop at nothing to retrieve the wristband that enables the wearer to fly, walk on walls, or become invisible, among other things. Since Black still has the power ingots, there is only one thing for Sticky to do: return to Black's monstrous mansion and get his sticky fingers on those amazing superpowers. And that is where we find poor normal Dave. After recovering from the shock of a talking gecko lizard, Dave is entranced by the possibility of flying or becoming invisible and agrees to go with Sticky to Black's mansion. Their journey is filled with all sorts of vile and diabolical mischief you might expect from a scheming villain: trap doors, confusing hallways, a broken evil-laugh soundtrack, an unpleasant snail waterfall, and a very hungry komodo dragon. Along the way, Dave and Sticky come face to face with Black and his accomplices, the Bandito Brothers, and yet manage to escape with a power ingot in hand --- or, I should say, in wristband. Dave, though, ends up disappointed with his ingot's magical power and believes everything will return to normal now that he's back at home and grounded for staying out so late. Black, on the other hand, will stop at nothing until he has the wristband and all the ingots back in his possession. When Black places another boy's life in danger, Sticky convinces Dave to use the magic power for good, and so begins the adventures of The Gecko & Sticky. After reading this book, I found myself wishing that I had a hilarious sidekick like Sticky whispering in my ear and getting me into all sorts of trouble. I also couldn't help laughing at Damien Black's attempts to be really evil but usually failing miserably. Plus, t

I've listened to this audiobook with a few kids, and they just love it! Marc Cashman's many voices really bring the book to life. The talking gecko is delightful. This is a great way to stimulate kids imaginations. The story has a fun plot that adults will enjoy too. Great production quality, especially the voicing.

A boy and his pet gecko. It doesn't seem like the makings of much of an adventure, but imagine if it was a talking gecko with notoriously "sticky" fingers. Dave Sanchez is a pretty normal kid. He lives in an apartment with his hardworking parents and his annoying sister. Life was fairly routine until the day his pet gecko announced that he could talk. He told some crazy story about helping three loco banditos in their get-rich-quick schemes. Now he says he is trying to track down the diabolical Damien Black. Sticky the gecko has a powerful Aztec wristband known for its superpowers. The catch is that the evil Damien Black has the power ingots that must be snapped into the wristband to activate its powers - invisibility and the power of flight - just to name a few. According to Sticky, they must get to the ingots before Damien gets to the wristband and begins his plan to take over the world. Their adventure begins as they battle slimy snails, shrieking bats, and shrunken heads to gain access to Damien's frightful mansion. This new series by author Wendelin Van Draanen offers fast-paced action and quick-witted humor. Dave and his sassy sidekick Sticky are sure to please fans of Van Draanen's earlier SHREDDERMAN series. This is an excellent choice for boys and especially reluctant readers looking for fun and adventure. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"