Module 8

Module 8
March 8-14

Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians
By Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson, Brandon. Alcatraz versus The Evil Librarians. Scholastic Press. 2003. ISBN: 0439925525

Synopsis:
Alcatraz Smedry is a boy in the foster care system when his grandfather shows up one day. Grandpa Smedry informs Alcatraz that he is caught up in a world war between the Hushlands, run by the evil librarians, and the Free Kingdoms. The Smedrys are an ancient bloodline and with that bloodline comes a special gift every generation. Alcatraz’s gift is simple. He breaks everything he touches. Alcatraz then goes with Grandpa Smedry to get back the sands of Rashid from the Librarians who stole it. With friends and family that he never knew that he had, Alcatraz is able to successfully retrieve the sands and discover a fantastical world that he never knew existed.

My Version of the World
I really enjoyed this book. It begins a journey into a fantastical world where librarians are evil, and the world as we know it is a sham. From glasses or ocular devices that see auras to cars that drive themselves, this book is a nonstop ride of fun. He has the narrator be the main character. Sanderson inserts many ironic comments that are really humorous and add to the story. The world that Sanderson invents in unlike any that I had read, and it is very unique.

Book Reviews

In Sanderson's (Elantris) children's debut, an over-the-top fantasy/adventure, librarians are evil because they control all the information in Hushland (America). They distort some facts and fabricate the rest. Alcatraz, meanwhile, is the name of the protagonist, who has been raised in a series of foster homes. As the novel opens, on his 13th birthday, he is quickly initiated into the true nature of librarians by his heretofore unmet grandfather, Leavenworth Smedry. Before long, Sanderson brings on talking dinosaurs (it's a librarian distortion that they're extinct), a parallel world, visiting villains and more. The madcap plot can seem chaotic, with action pulling Alcatraz toward new characters at a breakneck speed, but Sanderson unexpectedly draws everything together in an extravagantly silly climax. Readers whose sense of humor runs toward the subversive will be instantly captivated: not only does the author poke fun at librarians, he lampoons books (including this one) in frequent passages directly addressed to readers: "You are saying to yourself, 'The story just lost me. It degenerated into pure silliness.... I'm going to go read a book about a boy whose dog gets killed by his mother. Twice.'" Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel isn't for everyone, but it's also sure to win passionate fans. Ages 9-up. November 19, 2007. Publisher’s Weekly.

The conventional trappings of the middle-school fantasy get turned upside down in this zany novel. Alcatraz is a 13-year-old boy with hidden powers, but his talent is "breaking things." The powerful object he must find is a bag of sand, he battles monsters made of paper, and his arch nemeses are evil librarians. It all sounds ludicrous, but there is actually some consistent logic that makes the adventures engaging, as well as silly. Seemingly random insertions, such as a bunch of very civilized dinosaurs that speak with English accents, later play key roles in the plot development. Alcatraz opens nearly every chapter by addressing readers directly, and frequently interrupts the narrative, a technique that adds to the enjoyable bizarreness. He reflects flippantly upon writing techniques, gives broad hints about what may happen next, and even tells outright lies about his own story. It takes a while to adjust to this intentionally chaotic narration, but it ultimately becomes quite effective. The details of this fantasy world, where librarians dominate "Hushlanders" by withholding information about many things, including the existence of three other continents, make just enough sense to frame the sometimes frantic plot. Though there's intentionally more humor than drama, Alcatraz becomes a more complex figure by the time his adventure is through as he discovers the value of friendship, courage, and family. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world.-Steven Engelfried. November 1, 2007. School Library Journal.

In My World
I would use this book as a read-aloud within the library. It introduces new and different vocabulary for many young readers. However, it does not obviously point to a unit or a direction within the classroom other than pure reading enjoyment.