Tween Tuesday Feb 9th REVIEW: Keepers of the School

Tween Tuesday was started over at Green Bean Teen Queen as away to hightlight awesome books for the 9-12 year old set. AKA Tweens. Any book highlighted on Tween Tuesday does count for the In the Middle Reading Challenge. This week's book is:

Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School: We the Children

by Andrew Clements
To be released April 2010

I recieved an ARC for this book, and thought it looked like a fun read for the tween set.  My review is below.

From Goodreads:

One secret mission. One secret Society. Once chance to save their school from total destruction.

Benjamin Pratt's harbor-side school is going to be bulldozed to make room for an amusement park. It sounds like a dream come true ... or is it more like a nightmare? Something about the plan seems fishy, and Lyman, the new assistant janitor, seems even fishier. When Ben and his friend, Jill, start digging for answers, they find things that the people with money and power don't want them to see. Could the history hidden deep within an old school building actually overthrow a thirty-million-dollar real-estate deal? and how far will the developers go to keep that from happening? Ben and Jill are about to discover just how dangerous a little knowledge can be.

My Review:

This was a fun read that I think the younger set will really like.  There is plenty of mystery and action.  I particulary liked the clues that Benjamin and Jill had to figure out in order to begin to save their school. Unraveling the clues really pulls the reader into the story, as they try to solve them right along with the characters. The story actually kind of reminded me of Chasing Vermer because of the clues. But it's more that that! At the end some tense action was brought in - keeping the reading hooked.  And of course, it ends with plenty of mystery yet to solve.  I'm curious how it will all play out!

As a 7th grader teacher, I don't see this being a great book/series for my students.  It's marketed to a younger group (7-10), but I do have a few struggling readers that I think this book would be perfect for.  The high action would get them and keep them reading.  Plus it being part of a series will get them reading even more! Gotta love that.

I also want to comment quick on the illustrations in the book.  This being an ARC, not all the illustrations were there and complete, but I could tell that they will add immensely to the story.  I'm sure readers will be searching them for clues.

Final thought: Great high interest book for even reluctant readers.

Best stick with you image: The description of the their school. I want to go to school there!

Best for ages: 7-11