Alcatraz infiltrates a library and breaks everything.

Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson is the sort of book that is super terrific but you have trouble explaining to your friends.  Here is the blurb from Sanderson’s website.  

 

On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz, a foster child, gets a bag of sand in the mail which purports to be his “inheritance” sent from his father and mother. The Librarians, of course, immediately steal the bag of sand from him. This sparks a chain of events which leads Alcatraz to realize that his family is part of a group of freedom fighters who resist the Evil Librarians—the secret cult who actually rule the world. Alcatraz’s grandfather shows up and tows him off to infiltrate the downtown library to steal back the mystical bag of sand. The ensuing story involves talking dinosaurs, sentient romance novels, and a dungeon-like labyrinth hiding beneath the innocent-looking downtown library.

 

Why I love this book:

• It’s hilarious and creative.
• Eyeglasses play a prominent role in the story, and they are my favorite symbol in literature.
• The role reversal of having librarians that are evil is so, just, totally opposite from what we really are. Really.

How to Commemorate: 

• Visit a library
• Break/destroy something (it's a superpower)
• Arrive late for something (it's also a superpower)
• Dance badly (yep, still a superpower)
• Name something after a prison (because... well, you'll find out)

Other World Wednesday: United Isles (The Rithmatist)

The Rithmatist (by Brandon Sanderson) sets out a whole new re-imagining of the United States where instead of being joined by land, the states make up an archipelago with island names like Rhodes, Milwauk, Zona Arida, and Tennessee.  This isn’t nearly the most interesting thing about the world though.  On the central island of Nebrask, there is a race of two-dimensional wild chalk creatures that can devour people.  Select children are chosen to attend Armedius Academy where they learn to magically duel in chalk to keep these monsters at bay, preventing them from overrunning the entire country. When students at the academy begin to disappear, only non-magical teen Joel has the grit and persistence to find the students and protect the school.

Seriously, does Brandon Sanderson ever sleep?  This guy gives us loads of great high-fantasy books of such stellar quality that he was chosen to write the final book in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series.

How to Commemorate

• Create chalk drawings. (Bonus points if you duel!)
• Make yourself a course roster if you were to attend a magical academy.
• Rename places near you.

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Works Cited    

The Rithmatist

Amazon         Barnes & Noble        Public Libraries

Alcatraz infiltrates a library for the first time

Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson is the sort of book that is super terrific but you have trouble explaining to your friends.  Here is the blurb from Sanderson’s website.  

On his 13th birthday, Alcatraz, a foster child, gets a bag of sand in the mail which purports to be his “inheritance” sent from his father and mother. The Librarians, of course, immediately steal the bag of sand from him. This sparks a chain of events which leads Alcatraz to realize that his family is part of a group of freedom fighters who resist the Evil Librarians—the secret cult who actually rule the world. Alcatraz’s grandfather shows up and tows him off to infiltrate the downtown library to steal back the mystical bag of sand. The ensuing story involves talking dinosaurs, sentient romance novels, and a dungeon-like labyrinth hiding beneath the innocent-looking downtown library.

Why I love this book:

• It’s hilarious and creative.
• Eyeglasses play a prominent role in the story, and they are my favorite symbol in literature.
• The role reversal of having librarians that are evil is so, just, totally opposite from what we really are. Really.

How to Commemorate: 

• Visit a library
• Break/destroy something (it's a superpower)
• Arrive late for something (it's also a superpower)
• Dance badly (yep, still a superpower)
• Name something after a prison (because... well, you'll find out)