Customer Reviews

The Gecko and Sticky: The Power Potion

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My 8 year old son loves this book series. He can't wait for #5! He won't put the book down. Usually, he likes only non-fiction. I struggle to get him to pick up a chapter book. After I brought home the Gecko and Sticky series, he is now hooked and has picked up other chapter books! Yippee!

The Gecko & Sticky: The Power Potion tells of Dave and his gecko pal Sticky, who return for more adventure in the fourth book of the kid-friendly series illustrated by Stephen Gilpin. Here Dave delivers packages and breaks the cardinal rule of not looking into them. His inspection of a strange tube sent to the evil Damien Black opens the door to oddities and dangers in this fine story.

When Roadrunner Express delivery boy Dave Sanchez is dispatched to a remote area called Gypsy Town to pick up his last package of the day, he is in for more than one surprise. As he rides his bike through a maze of twists and turns in search of an obscure address, he encounters chickens and goats...lots of goats --- with pointy horns and curious natures. After he finds his delivery pick-up address, he is surprised that the location is a brightly painted gypsy wagon. A glimpse inside the beautiful wagon reveals bubbling flasks and vials filled with unusual colored liquids. An odd-looking man hands Dave a strange-looking tube sealed with wax and instructs him to deliver the package to Mr. Damien Black on Raven Ridge no later than sunset.

Damien Black is no stranger to Dave. He is an evil man who will stop at nothing to gain power and wealth, and especially wants to possess a magic ingot in Dave's possession that gives Dave super powers. And Raven Ridge is a dark and disturbing mansion filled with danger at every turn. Rather than going directly there, Dave takes a detour home, where his gecko pal Sticky convinces him that the package must contain something evil since it's intended for Black. Rather than give him the package immediately, Dave and Sticky open it and substitute the magic potion with a strange concoction of their own.

Disguised as a gang member, Dave delivers the package to the dreary mansion on Raven Ridge. When Black discovers it doesn't contain his magic potion, he is enraged and out for revenge. He takes extreme measures to get it returned or punish the person he thinks has swindled him. And all is not well with Dave and Sticky. After the gecko laces cat food with the super potion, he causes a catastrophe at Dave's house. To redeem himself, Sticky goes to extraordinary lengths and risks life and limbs.

THE POWER POTION is the fourth book in the Gecko and Sticky series by award-winning author Wendelin Van Draanen. Super-hero Dave Sanchez, wise-cracking Sticky, mysterious gypsies, giant tarantulas, massive goats, a coffee-addicted monkey, the hapless Bandito Brothers, and the ever-evil Damien Black add to the action and suspense. Van Draanen's whimsical voice and playful sense of humor make THE POWER POTION a fun adventure story, especially for reluctant readers.