Loved this book-finished it in one day! Perfect for a read aloud in so many ways. The dad writes crossword puzzle clues so he is always using amazing words that could morph into classroom vocabulary lessons. Can't wait to see what the sequel is like.

"As if being small for his age and also having S. Horten as his name isn't bad enough, now 10-year-old Stuart is forced to move far away from all his friends. But on his very first day in his new home, Stuart's swept up in an extraordinary adventure: the quest to find his great-uncle Tony--a famous magician who literally disappeared off the face of the earth--and Tony's marvelous, long-lost workshop. Along the way, Stuart reluctantly accepts help from the annoying triplets next door… and encounters trouble from another magician who's also desperate to get hold of Tony's treasures."

Very likable characters, and a fun adventure. Highly recommended for reluctant readers!

Maybe more of a 3.5 for me. This isn't going on my list of the best middle-grade books ever, but it's definitely fun and worth the read. Thumbs up from the 8-year-old in the house, too.

I was intrigued with this book because it's small and has a cool pen-and-ink-type drawing on the cover.
The story within is fine. I'd have enjoyed it had I read it as a kid since I'd have loved to have found a secret left behind by a great-uncle magician.
As an adult, it was nice to read but will probably be forgettable.

I give up, this was just disappointing. I wanted an exciting mystery-and-puzzles sort of story, and this was just...really dry, with characters who all seemed like caricatures. Hard to find anything to inspire me to keep reading.

DNF.

It was a cute mystery with adventure.

(ARC review) 3.5 stars, really. The characters are quirky and original. The mystery was fun, but certainly not, in my opinion, "Willy-wonka style" as the description claims. It's a typical kids-outsmarting-adults mystery that will appeal to fans of The Mysterious Benedict Society. I think this will sell very well when it comes out.

I don't usually pick up YA books unless they're really catching and just the intro to this book made me want to pick it up. Once I cracked it open, I couldn't put it down. What a cute story! It combines history with adventure and even taught me a few new words!

Book Review (ARC)
This was a pretty cute, quick read. I think that a lot of children will really enjoy the story and the Indiana Jones like clues that Stuart has to follow in order to find out the mystery behind his great-uncle Tony’s disappearance. There are clear cut good and bad characters and kids will have an easy time following along with who they are rooting for and who to watch out for.

I do wish there was more of the triplets from next door. They don’t show up in full force many times, but they were so entertaining I missed them when they weren’t around. One of the triplets was in the story more than the others and luckily she held her own! Overall younger kids will be able to grasp the storyline and enjoy the magic and mystery.

Reviewed by Jessica for Book Sake.

This book is pretty adorable. I love kids' adventure books! Definitely on par with the Mysterious Benedict Society...I look forward to the next!