by Lissa Evans
Flap Copy Description:
When ten-year-old Stuart stumbles upon a note daring him to find his great-uncle's hidden workshop full of wonderful mechanisms, trickery, and magic, he sets out on an adventure of a lifetime. In order to find the place, Stuart must believe the unbelievable - while dodging the annoyingly prying eyes of his triplet neighbors, April, May, and June.
With clues to follow, puzzles, to solve, and the quirkiest of characters, this uniquely charming fiction debut by comedienne Lissa Evans is sure to enchant middle-grade readers - and believers - everywhere.
My thoughts:
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms was initially released in the U.K. under the title: Small Change for Stuart. This mesmerizing book is full of magic and mystery - just what you'd expect from a British author. However, Lissa Evans is not your typical author. She had a brief career as a medical doctor...and then became a stand-up comedienne! (Sounds like the perfect preparation for a children's author!) She also worked in television, producing and directing, where she won a variety of awards - including an Emmy. This MG novel has colorful characters, a wonderful plot, loads of laughs, and best of all: it's the first book in a series starring Stuart Horten!
Horten's Miraculous Mechanisms/Small Change for Stuart has been short-listed for both the 2012 Carnegie Medal in Literature and the 2012 Costa Award. Since I was unfamiliar with both of these awards issued in Great Britain, I did a bit of research.
To learn more about the Carnegie Medal Award, click here:
http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_2012_short_carn.html
To learn more about the Costa Award, click here:
http://www.costabookawards.com/
