Series ~ Single Title
Author ~ Patrick Carman
Release Date ~ September 1, 2011
Age Group ~ Middle Grade
Publisher ~ Scholastic Press
Source ~ The Elliott Review
GOODREADS SUMMARY
Charlie had his chocolate factory. Stanley Yelnats had his holes. Leo has the wacky, amazing Whippet Hotel.
The Whippet Hotel is a strange place full of strange and mysterious people. Each floor has its own quirks and secrets. Leo should know most of them - he is the maintenance man's son, after all. But a whole lot more mystery gets thrown his way when a series of cryptic boxes are left for him . . . boxes that lead him to hidden floors, strange puzzles, and unexpected alliances. Leo had better be quick on his feet, because the fate of the building he loves is at stake . . . and so is Leo's own future!
REVIEW
The Whippet Hotel is not what it appears to be. Officially, there are only ten floors, but it is rumored that there are many more hidden floors. One day, Merganzer Whippet, the hotel’s designer goes missing. One hundred days later, the maintenance man’s son, Leo, finds himself exploring the mysterious floors as he unravels a mystery.
Patrick Carman has a very vivid imagination. Each floor and room is described in fabulous detail that made me want to be there. There is a cake room with edible furniture, a robot room with real robots to play with, and a miniature Central Park with a working roller coaster. These are just a few of the unique rooms Leo visits. I think middle grade readers will really get into all the colorful descriptions.
The characters at The Whippet Hotel are a zany bunch. One of my favorites is Captain Richenbacker who has an imaginary archenemy, the wicked MR. M. The characters made me laugh and they kept the story light-hearted. They come off as cartoon characters with exaggerated features and personalities times 1,000.
Leo finds clues to solve the mystery in a series of boxes that lead him around the hotel floors. The hotel itself provides such an interesting backdrop to the mystery at hand. I had a great time going along with Leo and learning about The Whippet Hotel. There's nothing overly dark or scary, and there's a really wonderful ending to top it off. Middle graders will be fighting over this one at the school library!
RATING
5 Loved
COVER COMMENTS
I love Leo peeking out of the elevator with some of the hotel’s many ducks. It's a nice and playful cover that captures the story.
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