Customer Reviews

The Sixty-Eight Rooms (The Sixty-Eight Rooms Adventures)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Marianne Malone's The Sixty-Eight Rooms is a YA fantasy novel with a great premise. The problem is she seems to have forgotten to put the fantasy in.

The book imagines two sixth-graders, Ruthie and Jack, who discover a magical key on a field trip to the Thorne Rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago, a famous collection of 68 miniature rooms set in various time periods. The key shrinks Ruthie and Jack down to a size where they can enter the rooms and explore. Even better, it turns out that beyond the room is the entire world of the room's setting: France just a few years before the French Revolution, Mass. during the Salem Witch Trials, etc. The book moves back and forth between Ruthie and Jack's adventures in these worlds, their attempts to sneak into the Art Institute in order to enter the rooms, and their quest in the real world to find out the mysteries behind the Thorne Rooms--who created them and how, where the key came from, how some objects from the Thorne Rooms appear to have entered the real world, and so on. Meanwhile, Jack's mother has some real-world issues of her own to deal with as she's having a hard time selling her artwork and the two of them (Jack and his mom) are in danger of being evicted.

As mentioned, the premise is simply wonderful, combining time travel and Borrowers-type "small-person" adventuring. The problem is, we see almost no adventuring in the worlds outside the Thorne Rooms. We only pop into two of the 68 and for a matter of only a few pages--in total the Thorne Room adventures add up to only about 10 percent of the book. There is a lot of time spent getting the key and getting into the Museum, figuring out the logistics of shrinking and moving among the rooms, tracking down the room's mysteries--all of which have their place but offer far less of a sense of wonder and adventure than adventures in a strange time and place do.
While the book moves along smoothly enough, and the characters are well-drawn and likable, in the end the book severely disappoints by setting up the promise of exciting adventures but not following through.

Malone leaves room for more at the end, so it's possible this was just a set-up novel to further adventures. If so, she would have been better served I think whetting our appetites a bit more fully with the possibilities. Not recommended as a stand-alone. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and hope she returns to the Thorne Rooms with another book more fully set there.

This is *exactly* the kind of book I would have loved when I was in 3rd or 4th grade! Right now, I'm reading it aloud to a second-grader and he is totally caught up in the story.
Marianne Malone wraps up adventure, art, history, and mystery in a perfectly fun package. The Sixty-Eight Rooms addresses many types of friendship - that of Ruthie & Jack, that of Mr. Bell and Lydia, Ruthie's dad & Mrs. McVittie, Ruthie's mum and her mentor professor. It addresses adversity - Jack & his mum Lydia may have to leave a wonderfully concocted artist's loft if Lydia doesn't sell a few of her paintings to pay the rent. Loss is a theme - when Ruthie's mum's mentor/professor dies, and when we learn that Mr. Bell's best work (he's a photographer) disappeared years ago. And peripherally, who isn't fascinated with miniatures?
The children plan a winter weekend of exploration in the Thorne Rooms in the museum at the Art Institute in Chicago after it closes - their planning is thorough and creative; while they understand that what they are doing is not kosher, the lure of adventure is simply irresistible. I think the book is oh so realistic in all it conveys and portrays of the life and world of modern urban kids, which is a perfect counterpoint to the magic of the key, and the mystery of the exquisite, historically accurate, and totally real Thorne Rooms.

I read this with my 10 year old 4th grader daughter. We got through about 2/3rds before I finally gave up making her read it with me. I think both boys are girls would feel the same about this book. For the most part kids that are very interested and have been to the Art Institute and seen the rooms or are very interested in doll houses might enjoy this book. For the rest it is probably too slow of a pace to keep most kids in the target age range interested.

The idea behind "The Sixty-Eight Rooms" is positively delightful. Two children who are enamoured by the Thorne Rooms, miniature rooms, at the museum find themselves magically able to get small and get inside the rooms. These are some inventive kids and they do a great job of working everything out so that the adults aren't suspicious.

The first, and most glaring, problem was that Jack and Ruthie did not act their supposed ages. They were supposed to be in 6th grade which really means the kids are around 11 or 12. They talk and act much younger than that. Their views of the world would match a much younger person. Then their physical actions are those of much older kids. They are allowed to go downtown in Chicago by themselves...this includes going into and touring the museum. The parents hardly blink. I have an 11 year old and I would hard pressed to let him play in the next neighborhood over without an adult with him. So in the context of this book, extremely naive and innocent for their age 11 or 12 year olds are allowed to wanter the city of Chicago by themselves. Nope. No way. Credibility is lost right away.

The other thing thing that didn't work for me is that every character we meet in the book somehow is able to help them in their quest. Maybe this is just tight writing, but I just felt each step of the problem was too easy to solve. Again this may be just great for the younger book readers out there, but it just doesn't feel true.

The depictions of the miniature rooms and the historical travels were impressive and very cute and fun. I am amazed at the true details the author has written about. She obviously has a great handle on her subject matter and it really comes through in the book. I felt like I was in the museum and looking into those rooms. That is truly an amazing thing when a book is that detailed and rich.

Unfortunately the characterization was just off which made the rest of the book feel 'off' as the well. I think kids will enjoy the book, but its not one of those an adult can read and enjoy as well.

My grandparents lived in a suburb of Chicago. When I was younger (and, frankly, even today), a visit to the Windy City just didn't seem complete without a trip to the Art Institute of Chicago and, in particular, to its beloved Thorne Rooms. Unlike more traditional museum "period rooms," the Thorne Rooms are compellingly detailed recreations in miniature, each one appearing like a window not only into another time but into another, smaller dimension. The light-infused dioramas, their exquisite detail and their evocatively painted backdrops are like invitations to imagine yourself in another world.

Apparently, Marianne Malone was also inspired by the imaginative draw of the Thorne Rooms. This debut novelist, who lives near Chicago, has set THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS in the Art Institute, as Ruthie and her friend Jack discover that the rooms are actually magical. When the two come across a mysterious key, they soon learn that Ruthie seems to have a mysterious, magical connection to that key. When she touches it, she shrinks down to a size that would allow her to roam around the Thorne Rooms at just the right scale, sitting at the miniature chairs, tucking herself into the elaborate canopied beds, playing the tiny instruments and opening the miniscule desk drawers.

Ruthie and Jack, who have discovered how to access the maintenance corridor behind the rooms, soon hatch a plan to stay overnight at the museum and explore the rooms more carefully. They also discover a method that allows Jack (who doesn't share Ruthie's connection to the magical key) to shrink as well. But what will happen if they venture outside the rooms, head out beyond the painted backdrops with outdoor scenes and into the miniature, historical world outside? Will they meet people from other times?

THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS has an unusual but understandable premise, one that has surely occurred to anyone who has seen the Thorne Rooms and wondered what it might be like to inhabit those tiny, perfectly appointed, often luxurious spaces. Malone's novel also participates in a storied tradition of children's books set in and inspired by museums, from FROM THE MYSTERIOUS FILES OF MRS. BASIL E. FRANKWEILER to CHASING VERMEER and MASTERPIECE. However, this book injects a supernatural or fantasy element that will appeal to many readers.

At times, THE SIXTY-EIGHT ROOMS is guilty of some common faults of first novels (especially ones for young readers), namely an overuse of exclamation points to indicate enthusiasm or danger. It also suffers occasionally from a lack of cohesion in its plot; although their interactions with figures from the past are limited to a couple of significant exchanges that ultimately have implications for the plot, they can also seem disconnected and unrelated.

Of course, one could point out that the children's adventures are kind of like the rooms themselves --- freely roaming among historical periods and geographical locales that, on the surface of things, might seem like a random assortment. Jack and Ruthie's adventures are certainly compelling, and you can bet that many lucky readers --- their own imaginations inspired by the novel --- will be begging their parents to make a field trip to Chicago.

I've always been fascinated by dolls and dollhouses and what it would be like in that world so I was very excited to read this book about two kids who find a magic key that allows them to shrink and enter the 68 dollhouse rooms in the Art Institute of Chicago. I liked the characters of Ruthie and Jack, as well as their teacher Mrs. Biddle. The writing was good -- kind of old-fashioned which suited the style of this book.

My critique is that I wished more of the story was about Ruthie and Jack actually in the doll house and not so much time spent on the logistics of getting to the museum and into the rooms. While I enjoyed this book, I would have liked it so much better if they had had more adventures in the house and in the worlds beyond. I also would have liked the pair to discover more about history through their adventures rather than having Jack spout so much of it. It seemed a little "reader feeder" at times. All in all, I'd recommend to 4-6 graders who are into fantasy books. I don't think there is enough action for reluctant readers but kids into books will enjoy this.

Oh, how I enjoyed reading this book!!! I have had a love for miniatures since I was a small child (I am now a 62 year old grandmother). This book satisfied all my dreams and inventions and notions about minis. I have never been to Chicago, but I can tell you I would go to the museum to see the fabulous rooms in the Thorne exhibit. If you have a love of miniatures and an imagination, then this book is for you! What an adventure! I would give it 10 stars if I could!

I'm having a hard time gauging what exactly I didn't like about this book since the premise is so promising. The writing for me felt very stilted and unnatural. I also didn't really love Ruthie's thought process about wanting to be not ordinary--it also felt strange. I can see kids who liked From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler enjoying this one but it just wasn't as spectacular as I had expected it to be.

As a mother of an 11-year-old child who got her first dollhouse building kit for Christmas, "The Sixty-Eight Rooms" makes a terrific addition to our library and the perfect companion to about 40 hours' worth of family-together time. In that this book describes the Thorne Rooms, real miniature rooms that we can visit and see for ourselves, it is similar to Blue Balliet's series which started with "Chasing Vermeer." At the same time, unlike other stories of doll-houses and the magic that inhabit within, the magic here deals with real historical figures and events. I especially appreciate the reasoning behind the decision not to include human or animal figures in the rooms - something for us to think about once our own doll house is complete! In the words of said daughter:

"'The Sixty-Eight Rooms' by Marianne Malone is a great book.

"Almost everyone who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed deep within the Art Institute of Chicago, they are a collection of sixty-eight eerily realistic miniature rooms. Ruthie and her friend, Jack, discover that not only are the rooms realistic, they are magical. With a key that can shrink them, Ruthie and Jack discover diaries of duchesses, VERY big cockroaches, and that they can travel back in time.

"I would give this book five stars: one for the characters, two for the plot, one for the ending and one for the Thorne rooms. I would also recommend this book to anyone who likes magical dollhouses and adventures."

I'm from Chicago and have visited the Thorne Rooms many times (and love them), so I was immediately drawn to this book. It started out a bit slow for my tastes, but I soon realized that the intended audience for this book is not me. It's younger middle grade, or for kids who scare easily. Once I adjusted to that, I really enjoyed the story.

I do think that the author could have focused a bit more on the rooms themselves, and less on the logistics and details of how the kids get in and out of the museum. The rooms themselves are so fascinating, and those details were sometimes overshadowed by those mundane details. I also thought the twist with the rooms could have been explored a bit more.

But, really, this is a fun, light story that kids as young as seven or eight would really enjoy. I plan to give my copy to my seven year old son, and I think he will love it.