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Summary
Summary
"Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity--five-stars!" --Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
From the bestselling author of Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library and co-author with James Patterson of I Funny, House of Robots, and Treasure Hunters, comes a hilarious illustrated series about all the wacky things that happen when you live in a motel!
Eleven-year-old P. T. Wilkie may be the greatest storyteller alive. But he knows one thing for a fact: the Wonderland Motel is the best place a kid could ever live! All-you-can-eat poolside ice cream! A snack machine in the living room! A frog slide! A giant rampaging alligator! (Okay, that last one may or may not be made up.) There's only one thing the Wonderland doesn't have, though--customers. And if the Wonderland doesn't get them soon, P.T. and his friend Gloria may have to say goodbye to their beloved motel forever.
They need to think BIG. They need to think BOLD. They need an OUTRAGEOUS plan. Luckily for them, Gloria is a business GENIUS, and OUTRAGEOUS is practically P.T.'s middle name. With Gloria's smarts and P.T.'s world-famous stories and schemes, there's got to be a way to save the Wonderland!
BONUS: Includes fun extras like P. T. Wilkie's outrageous (and sometimes useful) things you learn living in a motel. Installment 1: How to say "Help! The toilet is clogged!" in over twenty languages!
Here's What People are saying about Welcome to Wonderland!
* A New York Times Bestseller * Sunshine State Young Readers Award List * Winner of the Sid Fleischman Humor Award *
"Outrageous hijinks and nonstop hilarity--five-stars! Kids who check into this madcap motel will want to stay forever!" --Lincoln Peirce, author of the Big Nate series
"So funny I fell off my bed!"--Izzy B., age 10
"Classic Grabenstein. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein's "Mr. Lemoncello" followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. This new series should be a hit."-- School Library Journal
"A delight. P.T. is a hoot and a half. A funny, madcap dash. Grabenstein . . . threads in a mystery that blooms in the last act and that puts this particular read over the top."-- Kirkus Reviews
"Charm galore. Easy and breezy, this well-paced novel . . . belongs in the hands of any readers wanting their bad guys bad, their good guys great, and a little of Wonderland's promised fun in the sun." -- The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old P.T. Wilkie narrates this series starter. He lives at the Wonderland Motel in St. Pete's Beach, FL. His grandfather, Walt, founded the hotel in 1970 and did well until another Walt opened Disney World a year later. The Wilkies have been struggling to remain open ever since. P.T. always looks on the bright side. He doesn't push his single mom about who his dad is, he's close to his grandfather, and he thinks motel living, with its free ice cream and housekeeping, is just great. He's also an irrepressible storyteller, much to the chagrin of his neighbor and history teacher, Mr. Frumpkes. Unfortunately, his idyllic life is about to change in a month's time, thanks to a balloon loan coming due. His mom and grandpa need to come up with $100,000. The only way to do that is to sell the Wonderland to a sleazy developer. P.T. joins forces with Gloria Ortiz, a guest who happens to be a business whiz. As the two listen to Mr. Wilkie's tales about the early days of the Wonderland, they come up with a series of money-making ideas to save it. Complicating matters are a pair of elderly brothers who are not what they appear to be. This is classic Grabenstein-there are lots of sly asides and a tongue-in-cheek tone; a spirited, wise-guy hero in P.T.; a fast pace that edges a bit over-the-top; a vividly kitschy setting; and cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations throughout. The mystery should satisfy Grabenstein's "Mr. Lemoncello" followers, and the humor and visuals will appeal to fans of his collaborations with James Patterson. VERDICT This new series should be a hit among a variety of readers.-Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Wisecracking 12-year-old P.T. Wilkie loves the Wonderland Motel in Florida, where he lives with his business-minded mother and fun-loving, fast-talking grandfather, who originally opened the motel. P.T. takes after his grandfather, who has a gift for tall tales and affection for the "zany decorations" adorning the property, but it's going to take more than wild stories to save the financially troubled Wonderland. Enter Gloria Ortega, who checks into the hotel with her father and shares her business smarts with P.T., leading to money-making ventures that include karaoke performances featuring the motel's frog-shaped waterslide. When two elderly jewel thieves show up to find diamonds they lost at Wonderland decades earlier, P.T. and Gloria realize that this could be their chance to save Wonderland. Lumberjanes contributor Allen's lively cartoons are a perfect fit for Grabenstein's (Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics) quirky, upbeat romp, which is filled with mystery, danger, and laughs. P.T.'s longing for his absent father and his unflagging optimism make him a sympathetic narrator that will leave readers looking forward to the next installment in this new series. Ages 8-12. Author's agent: Eric Myers, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
It doesn't look good for the Wonderland, an aging Florida motel with plenty of vacancies, some decrepit amusement-park statues, and a $100,000 bank loan coming due in 30 days. The foreclosure news jolts 11-year-old P. T. After all, his grandfather opened the motel way back in 1970. His single mother manages it now, and it's not just their workplace; it's their home. Better known for telling tall tales than for getting things done, P. T. teams up with Grandpa and Gloria, a financial whiz kid, to carry out several get-rich-quick schemes to save the Wonderland. In the end, the key to solvency turns out to be an even more unlikely outwit-the-stupid-crooks-and-collect-the-reward subplot. This appealing chapter book offers an original setting, a mystery, and some colorful characters. Illustrated with cartoon-style black-and-white illustrations, complete with speech balloons, P. T.'s very readable first-person narrative has a comic tone reminiscent of Jacky Ha-Ha (2016), which Grabenstein cowrote with James Patterson. More adventures and fun are sure to follow in the Wonderland series. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Sharing spotlights with Patterson has paid off for Grabenstein: a month-by-month promo plan hitting everything from trade shows to summer camps will keep this in the spotlight.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2016 Booklist