Timothy and the Dragon's Gate

Timothy and the Dragon's Gate is fun and imaginative. Adrienne Kress is very in touch with teenagers and their outlook on life in the 21st century. She beautifully blends the the sarcastic bored Timothy with Alex's optimistic enthusiasm. The adventure is non-stop and rather zany. I think the one really great message in this story is about persistence. As long as you persist you will achieve your goal. Never give up on your dreams or goals, they are who you are.

A smart, funny follow-up to Alex and the Ironic Gentleman. It's hard to find a character who is so annoying and so entertaining at the same time. It's nice to see that even while Timothy does manage to learn a little something on this trip, he doesn't magically transform into a different person. That much attitude doesn't change overnight. I highly recommend the audio version but I will issue one warning: I had to listen to my 7-yr old say "Whatever" for weeks afterwards.

One of my kids read this before I did. Here's my 12-year old's review, followed by my own. The 'star' rating is my own (my 12-year old rated it 5-stars): "Overall, I liked this book because it had a lot of action, there was a lot of description, and the plot was amazing. This book is one of my favorites and definitely one of a kind. Once I started it I couldn't put it down! I think that you should read this book if you like adventure and science fiction. It is now my favorite book! Compared to the Harry Potter books, this one has the same amount of action, if not more, but a different setting and character personalities. I love the Harry Potter series, but this one I love just as much!" My review: It's hard to review a book aimed at the pre-teen audience, because I can't really use the same standards and comparisons I would use for 'grown-up' literature. However, the best overall observation I could make to get across my take on this work is that I often found myself thinking "Now that's how you write for my kids!" Kress seems to be very aware of her audience and makes sure their needs are met, while not talking down to them - incorporating "grown-up" language and style, but to a limited extent (almost surepticiously). At the same time, I have to say I stayed engaged in the story, and, after the first third of the book, had to finish it to find out how things turned out. It's a good fun story, it involves kids who are realistic (meaning, warts and insecurities and all). The kids exceed expectations (especially their own), but Kress doesn't try to hammer home a moral. There are lessons in there, but they are very much left for the subconcious to note. All in all, a good fun read for any tween (or a precocious 8-year old), with a fun story, lots of action, and plenty of wise-cracks.

When we meet Timothy he has finally been kicked out of every school in London. Timothy's problem is he's just too smart for his own good, causing problems wherever he goes. This traditional premise underlies a book full of adventure (and wit), as Timothy is charged with helping a dragon. The characters are what make this book memorable and worthwhile, whether it is Timothy, a reclusive architect, a fish herder, or a billionaire thanks to his going through junk. Kress even finds a way to incorporate several of the characters from her first book, Alex and the Ironic Gentleman. There is no deep message here, but who needs depth when you can have dragons, pirates, ninjas, and a good laugh?

In "The Secret Garden," Frances Hodgson Burnett created Mary Lennox, a snarky, attitude-filled brat who finally got a clue. Why am I talking about a 97-year-old classic when this review is supposed to be about Adrienne Kress' new book, Timothy and the Dragon's Gate? Go with me here. Timothy's favorite response to just about anything is, "Whatever." If Mary Lennox were dropped into the modern world, I'd bet money that "Whatever" would be hers as well. Timothy isn't an underachieving punk. Just the opposite: he's brilliant, insightful, and bored. Adults can't deal with his intellect and attitude and he's been expelled from every single school in town. His dad is ineffectual, his mom is off pursuing a mediocre acting career. When Timothy has to accompany his dad to work because no sitter will come within a mile of him, he falls into an internship for his dad's reclusive boss. Oh, about the dragon. And the gate. And all the possible adventures that combination conjures up. One might think Timothy--this unlikable eleven-year-old snot--makes the combination doomed to failure. Don't be fooled. As Kress did to Alex in her first book, "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman," Timothy is thrown into danger and adventures. He has to rely on his intellect to make it through--with the dragon in tow. (Abandon hope. I'm not going to reveal it. About the dragon, that is. And that's why I can't quote my favorite line: the dragon says it, and I'd spoil the plot.) In the process, Timothy messes things up to a point where he admits he can't blame his weak father, his absentee mother, his teachers, or anyone but himself. No, no, no. Don't groan. There are no heavy-handed Moral Lessons for Today's Youth here. (Thank you, Ms. Kress!) Instead, there are ninjas. Fish-herders. Architects who may not be what they seem. (Fish-herders and architects. I swear. What fun!) There are pirates, too, of course. Along with mysterious Chinese gambling-house owners and three black taxicabs that shouldn't be able to do everything they do. And I guessed wrong on the identity of the secret villain. I love it when books surprise me. What makes Timothy and the Dragon's Gate stand out is Kress' ability to give us an unlikable hero and charm us into rooting for him. Timothy doesn't turn into a sweet little angel after all his adventures. He's still himself, but like Mary Lennox, he gets a clue. Kress has the knack of writing child characters who could be my next-door neighbors. Then she mixes them up with delightful fantasy and just enough danger to keep me turning the page to see how they succeed--or temporarily fail. It's not spoiling the book to reveal that it has very satisfying ending. I'm a cynical horror writer who runs from sweetness and light like, well, like a dragon's chasing me. (I couldn't resist.) But like "Alex and the Ironic Gentleman," Timothy and the Dragon's Gate charmed me into staying up way too late to finish it. No syrup here. Instead, there's adventure, derring-do, att