The Fourth Stall [Hardcover]

Chris Rylander (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 8, 2011 | Age Range: 8 and up | Series: Fourth Stall | Lexile Measure: 760L (What's this?)

Do you need something? Mac can get it for you. It's what he does—he and his best friend and business manager, Vince. Their methods might sometimes run afoul of the law, or at least the school code of conduct, but if you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can pay him, Mac is on your side. His office is located in the East Wing boys' bathroom, fourth stall from the high window. And business is booming.

Or at least it was, until one particular Monday. It starts with a third grader in need of protection. And before this ordeal is over, it's going to involve a legendary high school crime boss named Staples, an intramural gambling ring, a graffiti ninja, the nine most dangerous bullies in school, and the first Chicago Cubs World Series game in almost seventy years. And that's just the beginning. Mac and Vince soon realize that the trouble with solving everyone else's problems is that there's no one left to solve yours.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Sixth-graders Mac and Vince have been running an advice and assistance service for fellow grade-school students since they were in kindergarten. Mac is a problem solver, Vince is a whiz at keeping track of the money and favors they earn, and both boys are avid Chicago Cubs fans. Their �office� is located in an underused school bathroom, hence this first novel�s title. The business takes a beating�and then so does the boys� friendship�when an older kid applies muscle to the threats he has made to grade-schoolers who owe gambling debts. Rylander has created a cast of memorable and varied characters, replete with emotional as well as social lives. Mac narrates the convoluted tale with the arch flatness of a 1940s satire of the noir detective genre, so swallowing even the more preposterous coincidences is easy for the sake of the story�s fun. An excellent boy book that would do well in a father-son book discussion. Grades 4-7. --Francisca Goldsmith

Review

"Here is an original - a story that really gets how guys are pals.... Do yourself a favor.  Read it.  Now."  - Jon Scieszka (NYT Best-Selling author)

"The Fourth Stall makes good use of non sequitur humor and a healthy dose of schoolyard violence to draw in even the most apprehensive young reader... a robust story rich in action, adventure, humor, and friendship."
--VOYA

"Rylander has created a cast of memorable and varied characters, replete with emotional as well as social lives... An excellent boy book that would do well in a father-son book discussion." 

--Booklist

"Boys and girls alike will be biting their nails, laughing out loud and begging for the next installment. Fans of Jeff Kinney, Gordon Kormon and Jon Scieszka will find a new hero in Rylander." --Sioux Falls Argus Leader

"Sometimes middle-school readers just wanna have fun. And Rylander, thankfully, steers well clear of made-for-TV life lessons." --The Cleveland Plain Dealer

Here is an original-a story that really gets how guys are pals. It’s also funny, mysterious, and true to the heart of what really matters when you are in middle school. Do yourself a favor. Read it. Now. (Jon Scieszka, author of the Time Warp Trio series )

Debut novelist Rylander mines a substantial amount of humor and heart from this combination hard-boiled crime novel and middle-grade character piece. A light and enjoyable caper. (Publishers Weekly )

Draws in even the most apprehensive young reader… A robust story rich in action, adventure, humor, and friendship. (Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) )

Mac narrates the tale with the arch flatness of a 1940s satire of the noir detective genre…Excellent. (ALA Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Walden Pond Press (February 8, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061994960
• ISBN-13: 978-0061994968
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 1.1 x 5.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (61 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #93,689 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #80 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Bullies

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Very Fun Read February 20, 2011

By DAC VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Christian who goes by the nickname Mac runs a business in school, helping other students out with this problems. Vince is Mac's best friend and partner. Mac's office is the fourth Stall in East Wings boys bathroom. Mac has built a name for himself and does great business. Everything is threatened when Mac learns that Staples, a high school crime boss is setting up business at his school.

There are a few other (not many) very fun middle grade novels in the same vein as The Fourth Stall. Though this one stands apart because Mac isn't all that good. Mac will help other students get answers to test or sneak into PG 13 movies. After Mac said in his business he helped other students cheat, I was like uh-oh. Though then I remembered its fun to read about a character who would do something you would never do. Mac is definitely the good guy here. He's a great friend to Vince and listens to his parents.

Mac must figure out a way to get Staples operation in his school closed down. He is forced to ask the school bullies for help. One of the books strengths is back information. Mac, outlines all nine bullies, from Nubby to Kitten the top bully. Also in the beginning Mac explains how he came to acquire the fourth stall as his office. The explanation fit smoothly into the story and made sense.

Rylander tells a good and entertaining story. Some of it, like high school students going to war with middle grade students is a bit over the top. Though Mac's likability and his friendship with Vince keeps it grounded. Mac and Vince love the Chicago Cubs. They do their best to stump each other with Cubs trivia.

My favorite small character was Tyrell, the schools best spy. Mac only uses his services when he has no other choice. When Mac realizes there's one of his people is giving Staples insider information, he calls on Tyrell.

When I first saw the cover of The Fourth Stall, I thought it was something I would enjoy. I was right. This is a great suggestion for fans of Grief Carver, Hallway Patrol by Jim Krieg, The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiolo or Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb story that young and older readers alike will enjoy immensely. April 10, 2011

By Danielle M. Smith VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Mac and his friend Vince are the end-all and be-all of their local school. Kids from kindergarten up into(sometimes) high school with even the occasional adult come to them in search of a resolutions. You have a problem? Mac will find a solution and Vince will figure out how to make it work. Unfortunately, life isn't always so simple. When a previously mythological threat invades their territory it not only means trouble for the student body, but near tragedy for the dynamic duo. With their ultimate goal being to help their fellow students while also secretly stashing away funds for a Chicago Cubs World Series game, will it all come tumbling down with a big bully invasion? More importantly, will their friendship still be intact when all is said and done?

Where do I even begin? As I was reading The Fourth Stall I had images of my son in a few years, he'd just completed his first reading of the book and he's desperately trying to form complete thoughts about his take on the book. It would probably sound a little like this..."Oh man, you wouldn't even believe! They worked in a bathroom! Oh, but there's baseball! Oh, and this guy who keeps telling the best jokes! There's even a convertible, but it chases him down! And all this money! There was even a guy who was a tree branch!..." You get the picture. It's exactly like that, but better. There is humor, adventure, suspense, mystery and much much more.

Now, before I get into the characters and their relationships I wanted to mention a couple of things first. One of the things I absolutely struggle with when reading is knowing how the story is going to end very early on in my reading. Maybe because I read a fair amount, but almost always I can guess an ending within the first 30 to 50 pages of a book which is often devastating, truly. Chris Rylander has now permanently cemented himself as one of my favorite storytellers for this very reason, well the opposite actually. Because I'm always guessing the ending I was certain I had The Fourth Stall figured out by the time I was about 100 pages in, which is still quite good considering. Well, I was completely wrong...completely. It was so refreshing! Not only was I wrong the first time, but a couple more times after that in fact. In addition to this incredible aspect, I also loved the way the story was told. Chris wrote it in such a way that it made it sound like the main character was speaking to you constantly, not just in first person, but almost like a reading a blog because the word usage was so casual and appropriate for the age group. It made the reading extremely quick and the connection with the characters that much better.

As for the characters...oh, how I loved Mac, but if I'm being honest I loved Vince even more. Perhaps it was Vince's humor, his quiet behavior, his smarts or even just the fact that he seemed so real with his misfortune that I just wanted to reach out to make his life better. No matter, they were both hilarious in their own ways, but I do have to say Vince's grandma is probably one of the funniest non-present characters ever in a book. She's always coming up with the hilarious off-the-wall one-liners that Vince uses in his daily life. I was constantly cracking up over this as well as a few other scenes in the book. Chris Rylander's humor is spot on for middle grade readers, well, and adults obviously too. Just take a look at this quote from a passage in the book...

"A plate of Oreo cookies sat in front of him and he slowly brought one to his mouth and took a bite. I swear I heard the Oreo scream faintly as his teeth sank in." (p. 174, The Fourth Stall ARC)

Hilarious. It's those subtle personifications as well as the exchanges between characters that truly make the book come alive. It was also the relationships between the characters that shined through. So much of the story revolves around friendship, trust, honesty and growing up which is almost always the most difficult part about being in this age group. People change so much in late grade school into middle school, often friends are lost and gained. But what I enjoyed most about Mac and Vince's relationship was their willingness to forgive, to see past each other's faults and strive to remember their friendship.

Most of us have struggled through, or will at some point, a difficult time in life when everything we know is challenged. For Mac it comes during his grade school years when he's at the top of his game. Hoping to one day attend the World Series and watch the Chicago Cubs play, he's suddenly questioning even this. In an instant his life is turned upside down, there are bullies and spies everywhere he turns and he's not even sure he can trust his closest friends. In the end though it's Mac's character and integrity that shines through as well as his concern for his friends. This is what makes The Fourth Stall a superb read; it's characters, their relationships with one another and how they react when trust has been betrayed. The Fourth Stall is an excellent middle grade novel that readers will devour and enjoy immensely.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious fun read - something for all ages! May 28, 2011

By sgcallaway1994

Format:Kindle Edition

Summary:

Mac and Vincent are die-hard Chicago Cub fans and have been best friends since Kindergarten. They run a lucrative business, solving other kid's problems, with their main office being the fourth stall of an unoccupied boy's school bathroom. They make bank. Their goal is to save up enough money to buy World Series Cub Tickets, if the Cubs ever make the World Series. This year the Cubs are closer than ever at making it to the World Series and business is booming! But when a bully, called Staples, moves into their territory, far more than just their business is threatened.

Ramblings:

BACKGROUND

Chris Rylander was born and raised in North Dakota. He is happily married, loves movies, sports and music. He also is known for eating jelley with a spoon. The Fourth Stall is his debut novel and is intended for the middle grader reader aged nine through twelve. Chris has planned a sequel to this book which will be released in February 2012.

SETTING, PACE AND & STYLE

The Fourth Stall takes place mainly in a grade school setting. Chis Rylander writes in a light, humorous tone, reminiscent of authors like Ronald Dahl or Beverly Cleary. The pace in this story is very fast, with lots of action along the way. Chris is a wonderful storyteller. The story is told in a first person narrative from the perspective of the male hero of the book, Christian or "Mac" as he's known by his peers. Occasionally during his narration Mac will go off on a tangent, but no matter where he leads the reader, he/she will be more than willing to follow.

CHARACTERS & PLOT

The characters in this story are well fleshed out and the author gives very descriptive narratives about each one, every time the reader is introduced to someone new to the story. The author's careful attention to these finite details is one of the stand out aspects of the book.

The main character in this story is Mac, a sixth grader who is small for his age, but has great problem solving skills. His best friend, Vince, is his penny pinching business partner. He's smart, witty and has a knack for finding thrifty ways to solve tough problems. Then, there is little Fred, a third grader who is troubled by the new bully in town, Staples. Staples was somewhat of an Urban Legend, a young man who doesn't even attend school at all, but has moved into town and starting playing unfairly, cheating young kids out of their money hand over fist.

The main plot and general theme of this story revolves around good versus evil, but the author also explores many what ifs. For example, what if you were cheating kids out of money for a good reason, is this justifiable? It also explores bullying and its fallouts.

Recommendation:

I strongly recommend this book to middle grade readers who like books by Ronald Dahl or Beverly Cleary. The Fourth Stall an easy to finish, fast paced book which will keep the young reader engaged page after page. This particular book would especially suit young boys, since its written by a male from a male perspective. Adults looking for something different or a humorous, entertaining read should also give this book a shot. Parents beware, this book does contain some violence (fighting). Issues aren't always resolved in a conventional way, but the book gives a realistic portrayal of how life could be for a male sixth grade student.

PERSONAL NOTE

Ok, this book is so AWESOME I could just go on forever about what a pleasure it was to read. I finished it in record time because it just kept me turning pages. I wanted to know what was going to happen to the characters, I felt I had a vested interest in them. I just loved Mac and Vince's relationship, how they played off each other's talents. The baseball trivia present in the story was a unique addition to the storyline, especially if you happen to be a Chicago Cubs fan.

Hands down, my favorite part of the story, secondary to the humorous delivery, was the way Rylander described his characters. He gave them each unique personalities and quirky traits making them stand out in my mind, they are all unforgettable.

One last thought, even though this story has a sequel, coming out in February 2012, Chris did a nice neat job of wrapping up this story in the end and it definitely could be read as a stand alone novel. Chris Rylander is certainly an author I will be following in the future.

RATING
This book was absolutely a joy to read. It was a real page turner and definitely will not disappoint. I can't think of a single reason to give it anything other than FIVE Rings! Don't miss this one. Its just too creative to pass up!

5 out of 5 Rings