Alcatraz Versus the Knights of Crystallia

Gr 6-8 Fresh from his victorious campaign in "Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones" (Scholastic, 2008), Alcatraz anticipates a triumphal return to his ancestral home. However, all is not well there. A deputation of Librarians, led by the fearsome She Who Cannot Be Named, is demanding that the realm of Mokia be handed over as a concession for ending their longstanding war, and Alcatraz suspects that the delegation is part of a more sinister Librarian scheme. Meanwhile, his friend and ally, Bastille, is facing disgrace as a result of their previous adventures and has lost her title of full Knight of Crystallia. Something is seriously amiss in Crystallia as well. With the help of a "recovering" Librarian and a hero-worshipping Prince, Alcatraz and Bastille must try to uncover the plot before the Librarian brute squad gets them all. As in his earlier adventures, Alcatraz frequently "breaks page" to address readers with side comments, instructions, and, occasionally, complaints and insults. Character relationships depend heavily on the previous books, although good and evil roles are less rigidly defined this time around. Alcatraz's changing perception of his parents is particularly interesting. He begins to sense love from the Librarian mother he has feared and hated, even as he grows concerned that his father may pose an unexpected threat to the Kingdoms. The rather complicated plot can be challenging to follow, and plenty of threads are left dangling for yet another sequel. Beneath the wild humor, there are surprisingly subtle messages about responsibility and courage."Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.

A librarian defector, struggling to overcome a cataloguing addiction, joins the ever-zanier ranks of Alcatraz's allies. Meanwhile, Alcatraz himself gets a taste of fame--and comes out looking not quite so heroic as before. With comical insight into human nature and just enough substance to make it all matter, the plot offers up plenty of action, gadgetry, and metafictional humor.