Story Time [Paperback]

Edward Bloor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2004

George and Kate are promised the finest education when they transfer to the Whittaker Magnet School. It boasts the highest test scores in the nation.

But at what price? Their new school's curriculum is focused on beating standardized tests; classes are held in dreary, windowless rooms; and students are force-fed noxious protein shakes to improve their test performance. Worst of all, there seems to be a demon loose in the building, one whose murderous work has only just begun.

A bitterly funny satire about the state of modern education from the author of Tangerine and Crusader.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-9-A book filled with social satire, black comedy, fantasy/humor, and extreme situations. Eighth-grader Katie and her brilliant Uncle George, a sixth grader, find themselves mysteriously redistricted and assigned to Whittaker Magnet School, which focuses entirely on excellence in standardized testing. The regimented kids are taught by regimented teachers in the basement of a haunted old library building and the school is run by a strange family obsessed with its own achievements, whether they are earned or not. All sorts of things are amiss at Whittaker, where elitism reigns; where dramatic deaths are hidden nearly as carefully as the dark secrets involving the building, the town, and the people who live there; and where appearances are paramount. Back at home, Kate lives with her agoraphobic mom, who has mysterious ties to the library, while George lives next door. Kate wants only to return to Lincoln Middle, where she could play Peter Pan and be with friends, while George tries to make the best of what is a monstrously warped situation. The Whittaker family goes to extremes to impress the visiting First Lady, creating an atmosphere ripe for catastrophe-as well as for redemption. This expansive and engrossing tale has elements of Roald Dahl, J. K. Rowling, and J. M. Barrie (the Peter Pan subtheme is not coincidental), but with a decidedly American flair. The many seemingly unconnected threads do eventually come together, but it is hardly worth the effort as this overly ambitious author has spread himself way too thin.-Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 5-8. Readers who think they know what to expect from the author of Tangerine (1997) and Crusader (1999)--wrenching family drama played out in grim suburban settings--will need to recalibrate after finishing this novel. It's the story of brainy sixth-grader George and sassy eighth-grader Kate, who find themselves in a magnet school housed in a purportedly haunted library. Both kids grow to hate taking standardized tests all day alongside green-tinged "Mushroom Children," and coping with the exaggeratedly amoral cadre of adults who run the place. There doesn't seem to be much hope of liberation, though, until a series of demonic possessions and grisly deaths delivers retribution to Kate and George's oppressors, putting the kids on the trail of a creepy paranormal mystery spanning generations. Part spine tingler, part breezy gothic, and part sly satire (the school espouses a "No High-Scoring Child Left Behind" policy), it's an audaciously eclectic mix. The proliferating story strands--including some deus ex machina intervention from the White House--are not always satisfactorily woven, but the irreverence and offbeat horror will still find an admiring audience. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 420 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1 edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152046704
• ISBN-13: 978-0152046705
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,052,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I have always been a writer, for as far back as I can remember. In the mid-1990s, I sold a novel that was marketed in the young adult genre. Since then, things have gone very, very well. I am married to a beautiful teacher named Pam. We have two children--Amanda and Spencer.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sparkling Satire for Young Adults, September 23, 2004

By 

Stephen Richmond "Librarian/Teacher/Reader an... (Newton, Massachusetts) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Story Time (Paperback)

This darkly sparkling satire on the foibles of the American education system is not at all what we'd typically expect from a YA novel. While brighter and somewhat less acidic than Lemony Snicket's unfortunate oeuvre, the characters herein soar not only in Peter Pan-esque bravado and elan, but also in smartly targeting right on its turgid mark. When combined, a haunted library, completed with way quirky librarians; a family where eccentricity and egomania are a long-standing and requisite condition, and lots of goofy fun weirdness make for an incredible reading experience. While this would be a great addition to the "while we're waiting for the next Potter/Snicket/Funke/Paolini, etc." list, there's a lot here for reluctant readers and generally fans of the kooky. This would also be great for classroom use in teaching the joys of satire.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bloor Does It Again!, March 9, 2004

By 

Frank Anderson (Orlando, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Story Time (Paperback)

Story Time, the brand new novel by the author of Tangerine and Crusader, is chock full of wonderfully crazy details in the lives of Kate Melvil and her Uncle George, who end up attending the very strange Whittaker Magnet School together. What makes this novel a gem, I think, is how fully realized all the characters are, even the minor ones. These realistic details only add to the surreal fun of the shenanigans at Whittaker. Yes, there are some satirical elements about schools and standardized testing, but you don't need a protein drink to enjoy the bizarre, very funny, world Bloor has concocted.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun and thought provoking, May 18, 2004

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Story Time (Paperback)

George Melvil, certifiable genius, and his niece Kate Peters, certifiable shoo-in for the lead in Lincoln Junior High's production of "Peter Pan," are offered spots at the prestigious Whittaker Magnet School. Whittaker Magnet, known for having the highest standardized test scores in the country, is housed in the same building as the supposedly haunted county library. While Kate has zero desire to attend a basement school full of brainwashed test-takers, George is intrigued by the opportunity to attend a school where he won't be judged unfairly on his small stature and interest in academics.

Their careers at Whittaker Magnet begin with an orientation from the domineering, treacherous Cornelia Whittaker Austin and sightings of a madwoman with a chainsaw in an upstairs window. Things only get stranger from there, involving secret passages, a librarian who only speaks in nursery rhymes, weapons of mass destruction and priceless books that house demons.

Fans of Edward Bloor's quirky settings, self-sufficient characters and strange-but-nearly-possible conspiracies will find this story enjoyable and thought provoking. Without beating the reader over the head with messages about standardized testing, literacy, intelligence, wealth and ignorance, Bloor manages to make the reader consider all of these topics and how they pertain to schools today.

So whether you're one of those people who can get a perfect score on the SAT with both eyes closed or if you chew number-two pencils to bits at the very thought of filling in all those circles, STORY TIME will make you think. And smile. And think some more.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Webber