The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep [Hardcover]

John Hulme (Author), Michael Wexler (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up | Series: Seems

Twelve-year-old Becker Drane has definitely got the coolest job of any seventh grader in Highland Park, New Jersey. He works as a Fixer for The Seems. From the Department of Weather to the Department of Sleep, The Seems is a secret organization that makes sure our world keeps running--and more importantly, sticks to The Plan that's been made for it. But The Plan, and The Seems for that matter, would be nothing without the people in it, and that's where Becker Drane comes in. When a Glitch is reported in the Department of Sleep, Becker is dispatched to Fix it, but he's not so sure this is a routine mission. Could the Bed Bugs, who are behind our Worst Nightmares, be responsible for the problems? Or maybe it's The Tide, an underground organization bent on destroying The Seems?  No matter what, Becker's in for quite an adventure, and it'll take all his training, a little luck, and the coolest Tools™ known in (or out of) the Seems to Fix the problem.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In this comic fantasy debut, 12-year-old Becker Drane is recruited as a Fixer in the Seems, a mirror world that constructs and maintains our own world. Becker’s first mission is to find and fix the Glitch in Sleep and become the hero of the Seems. Wyman effortlessly switches from voicing a seemingly normal American teen to a variety of otherworldly characters. All characters are delineated creatively, even robots and dream bubbles. Wyman’s easygoing delivery makes descriptions of Seems’ philosophy, gadgets, and missions seem realistic. He brings humor, excitement, and an occasional satirical twist to scenes involving the fascinating alternative universe. Becker comes across as a sympathetic and resonant hero in this first title in an imaginative fantasy series. Grades 5-8. --Lolly Gepson --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

About the Author

JOHN HULME and MICHAEL WEXLER are the editors of Voices of the Xiled, a short story collection for adults, and authors of other works of adult nonfiction. Michael and John both live in the New York City area.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; First Edition edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599901293
• ISBN-13: 978-1599901299
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #454,412 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A whole new world, and it resides behind the world, October 1, 2007

By 

T. Pryde "running after Devin" (Traverse City, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep (Hardcover)

First, a caveat emptor: I know the authors and count them as friends. That said, if I hadn't really enjoyed The Seems I simply wouldn't have written anything here at all. Luckily this was not the case. This a book with a grand and cinematic flare. Meet Becker Drane, he's a very cool kid who just happens to have the coolest job in the world that entails him using James Bond via Willy Wonka gadgets and the sage words of those that have trained him for the tasks at hand. Highly unpredictable, and full of skewed humor that made me laugh right out loud several times, the book is a great stepping off point with plenty of promise for what's to come in the series. Take a chance on this one...

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Teens Read Too, November 30, 2007

By 

TeensReadToo "Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier." (All Over the US & Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep (Hardcover)

I had to sign some kind of form at the front of this book before reading it, so I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you any of this...but here goes.

Imagine that The World we know is constructed somewhere else. The sunset is painted daily, the world's rain is regulated through a huge water tank, and a Good Night's Sleep is packaged, processed, and sent to you nightly, with a specially built dream enclosed just for you. Beyond the In-Between, every detail of the world is carefully fashioned by workers in The Seems.

When Becker Drane was nine years old, he filled out an application for "The Best Job in the World" on a lark. Three years later, he's a newly promoted Fixer for The Seems eagerly awaiting his first mission. However, the one he receives is tougher than most--to fix a Glitch that is ravaging the Department of Sleep.

The World is in peril as The Chain of Events that depends on the delivery of the night's dreams grows in danger of slipping. Becker must use all of his skills and training to find the Glitch before a Ripple Effect occurs, undoing all of the careful work of The Seems and ripping the very Fabric of Reality away.

Humorous and exciting, this first book left me eager for more from this new series, and you can be sure I'll be reading the rest.

As long as I can get past the red tape next time...

Reviewed by: Allison Fraclose

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinate your Grandchildren, December 16, 2007

By 

Tony G. (Ithaca, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Seems: The Glitch in Sleep (Hardcover)

THE SEEMS

As a grandparent thinking of books to fascinate the hearts and minds of grandchildren, "The Seems" is high on my list. Like Winnie-the-Pooh sixty or so years ago (I hate to admit it), this book has the capacity to feed the imagination of an entire generation of young people. And like Winnie the Pooh, behind the wondrous child's tale lies an adult perspective that is full of tender humor, irony, and an appealing philosophy of life.
Becker Drane is a twelve year old boy from Highland Park, New Jersey who, having applied for the "Best Job in the World," finds himself a "Fixer" in the "Seems," the invisible world behind our own that keeps things here on earth running according to the "Plan." When a Glitch occurs in the Department of Sleep, and no one on earth is getting the shut-eye they need, Becker gets the call to "Fix" the situation. In the highly competent company of senior Fixer Cassiopia Lake, an engaging and gutsy twenty-some year old girl, he sets out to save the world. The adventure is fast paced and taut enough to keep young readers on the edge of their chairs. Adults will love the sophisticated humor, word play, and above all the deeper human values which, for a reader like me, are the book's strongest selling point.

Tony Gaenslen