Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your Tween Tuesday link below. Rating: 3/5 Stars
Genre: Mystery
Release Date: 1/1/2008
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About the Book: When Franny's younger sister Zoe meets politician Martha Evergood, Ms. Evergood suggests that Zoe would be a perfect candidate for a private boarding school she is on the board of, Allbright Academy. Allbright was founded by two Nobel Prize winning scientists and the program is for the best and the brightest and tailored to their skills and learning style to give them the best education. Zoe's condition of acceptance is that her siblings have to join her. So all three Sharp siblings are accepted to Allbright. But while at Allbright, Franny and Zoe start to change. Their younger brother notice it as well as Franny's best friend back home. But is being perfect such a bad thing? Or is there something more going on at Allbright Academy?
GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Although not a really a dystopian novel, The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy, could be a good introduction for tweens. There are defiantly some eerie things going on at Allbright and this is a book about tweens against evil adults.
The book itself is a fast read and the mystery is interesting enough to hold young readers. As an adult reader, I wish the mystery had been a bit more fleshed out and not so easily solved (it felt a bit Nancy Drew-ish and too easy). I also thought some of the pop culture references were a bit odd and I wasn't sure if many tweens will get them. But I think if they don't they'll just overlook them and enjoy the mystery and rebelling against bad adults storyline.
This one is good for young tween mystery readers (the main character is in eighth grade, but I think the appeal is actually younger). I'm sure many tweens will look at this book and wonder if something similar could be going on at their own school!
Book Pairings: Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Drannen, and Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Full Disclosure: Reviewed from library copy
How interesting. I haven't heard of this. You're right...it does sound rather young-ish. Do you think it has appeal to older readers as well or would they tire of the voice? Lately, some of the tween books I've read feel like I'm being talked down to. That's not exactly the right phrase...but I feel like it's written for little kids. I like reading MG books that have a more universal voice - appeals to adults and kids.
ReplyDeleteThis one looks like it would be a good addition to my library because I always have girls looking for mysteries. I might have to give it a try! Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteI love mysteries and have always been a bit obsessed with boarding schools. This looks great, even if it reads on the young side!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book. I love mysteries!
ReplyDeleteNice review...I have a lot of 6th graders in my middle school who still really like the "youngish" stuff they could find in the elementary library so this might be right up their alley! My Tween Tuesday is here...http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2010/09/tween-tuesdays-14-shelter-from-wind-by.html
ReplyDeleteAlison-
ReplyDeleteI did think the voice seemed more like an adult trying to talk like a kid. The character is in 8th grade, but I really think the book skews younger than that-I don't really see many middle schoolers picking it up-I would say around 3-5th grade with some 6th grade appeal. It's a good mystery, just not anything to really think about and solved pretty quickly.
This looks interesting, but more like the sort of book I'd borrow from the library instead of actually buying. But I'm not a big mystery person I guess.
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