Customer Reviews

Millicent Marbleroller and the House of the Toymaker: A Girl's Magic Music Adventure Mystery Puzzle in a Haunted Mansion with Marbles, Toys, a Pipe Organ and a Glass Eyeball

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
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Well, of course I like it. I wrote it.

I really wanted Millicent to be a funny book, full of different and unexpected ideas. I targeted kids about same age as mine - from 8-12 years old. I pushed for whimsy, a bit of mystery, and quite a bit of slapstick. I wanted unusual plot devices that would stay in your memory forever - kind of like the stories of Roald Dahl, A. A. Milne or Baum. I also tried for a pretty strong visual sense to the story. I am not sure if all readers will experience this, but for me, all the action in every scene forms a pretty crystal picture in my head. I surprised myself when reading it (about ten times now... proofreading) how much I actually enjoyed the story and the characters.

I read it to my kids. They were bugging me every night to read the next chapter. For me this was a real point of re-assurance. They got into the book really deeply. The argued about what the main characters looked like, how Millicent should be dressed and what color her hair was. They even started feeding me full-fledged plot ideas for a sequel.

So, if you don't mind basing your decision on a review from an obviously biased source, then I highly recommend this book. And, if you find reviews by authors of their own book highly suspicious... well... then maybe you should just take the chance and see for yourself!

If you are a fan of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory you will love this book. My daughter and I are picky when it comes to bedtime reading and we had a difficult time putting this one down. We both wanted to know "what happens next!". Millicent has everything we like in a book: atmosphere, a clever and curageous heroine, a nasty villian, an old mansion,secret passageways, a mystery to solve. The book is very imaginative and the imagery stays with you. We can't wait for more stories from Mr. Roseberry.

In the past I have found books by first-time authors to be at best a mixed bag, which makes me all the more excited to tell you that Millicent Marbleroller is a great read. Wayne Roseberry has conjured up a first-rate heroine in Millicent, and let her loose in a world full of unique touches, clever dialogue and a menace that strikes just the right balance between bumbling and threatening (perfect for the target age group). As an adult, I can say that I was never bored, and eager to find out what happens next. I can't wait until my kids grow up a bit, and I get a chance to read this to them, I'm sure they will enjoy it. I know I did!

I had a great time reading this with my daughter. It is really a perfect story for that age (she is 8), she loved it - even the part with the glass eye (which she thought was "gross" - but was clearly facinated with it too).

So where is the sequel already?

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to inspire their children to create music, encourage them to use their imagination, and great for bedtime entertainment. I bought it to read to my son when he's a bit older (he's a toddler now) but I really enjoyed it myself and can't wait for Millicent's next adventure.

Newcomer Wayne Roseberry has the kind of imagination that makes me think of much loved stories like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Eccentric characters, quirky gadgetry and a mystery to be solved, all make it a fun ride.

Millicent Marbleroller and the House of the Toymaker is the author's debut book for children. While it has a slow start in the first chapter and would benefit greatly with the help of an editor for some rather distracting errors, I still rate this book very highly for its pure sense of entertainment and story.

It's nice to see a bright young girl as the heroine. Milicent is a loner and, unlike so many other children books these days, Wayne Roseberry does not bring in a slew of other children to follow some template of political correctness. This is a story about Millicent Marbleroller and her interactions with the adults in her life. It's clean and crisp without a lot of unrelated subplots.

Not only is it visually appealing, but since the story hinges on Millicent's love of music, there is an auditory aspect that makes you want to see and hear this book come to life. It's the kind of book that would make a great film. Perhaps a screenplay is in Wayne Roseberry's future.

His blog states that Millicent's adventures will actually be a triology. He is working on the sequel and if it's anything like the first, I expect it to be another visual treat.

Though certainly needing some editing, this debut book of Wayne Roseberry's is a real delight. Wayne has a wonderful imagination that frequently surprised my wife and me and made us laugh. The book has a lot in common with Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" but was original enough that you never know quite what to expect.

This short but wonderfully stimulating book is a must-get for any child who enjoyed reading "Charlie & the Chocolate Factory" and books of that ilk. Although I am way past the age of half-price admittance to the matinee, I thoroughly enjoyed the few hours it took me to read it, and the ending left me anxiously awaiting a sequel.

The young heroine Millicent finds herself apprenticed to the gruff and mysterious caretaker of a great mansion belonging to a deceased toymaker, and before she knows it, she's in a desperate race to uncover the secret of the mansion before the toymaker's greedy brother can get his grasping hands on the toymaker's legacy.

From the title you can see it involves a pipe organ and a glass eye - what other encouragement does one need to pick this one up today?

Charmingly inventive and extremely entertaining, this is highly recommended for all fans of Roald Dahl, and fantastic adventures in general.



Amanda Richards, August 17, 2009