Customer Reviews

The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow

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This is a great read for kids who are inventive and creative. Perfect for kids too old for the Magic Treehouse and too young for Harry Potter. Not too long either. I read it to my kids before bed and we finished it in less than a week. Lots of fun illustrations too. Plus more twists and turns than you'd expect - enough to keep my 7 and 8 year olds' attention. Hopefully there will be more books soon about the adventures of Vincent Shadow.

My 3rd grade son struggled to read it on his own. Probably should be a 4th grade plus reader. We read it together, I helped him with the words with which he struggled. Then he really got into the story. And so did I. Highly recommend this book.

Son can't leave it alone! He leaves it in the car for ride time reading! The perfect gift!

Cute, clever and charming are apt descriptions for the debut children's chapter book of toy inventor Tim Kehoe. THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW is a fun fantasy featuring 11-year-old Vincent, who has visions about toys that haven't been invented yet. He uses this gift to win a contest where the prize is the opportunity to work all summer with famous toy maker Howard G. Whiz. But like many average middle school students, Vincent has some everyday problems to overcome before he can be known as an amazing whiz kid toy inventor. Enter the Shadow family.

Vincent's birth mother was an artist who did everything she could to encourage his creativity. When he told her about his visions, she helped him build a secret place in the house so he could work on his inventions. She died when Vincent was around nine years old, and his dad, Norton, eventually married Vibs, a woman with three daughters from Minnesota. In a short amount of time, Vincent goes from being an only child who spends time in his secret laboratory to a brother with three sisters and a stepmother who isn't completely understanding of his antics or visions.

From beginning to end, this book is an enjoyable experience. The action moves swiftly, and the humor is great. Whether Vincent is accidently turning himself blue from an experiment with "mood paint" or thinking about the times he spent with his mother at the art museum, the action is well written, and Kehoe artfully weaves bits of back story along the way to keep the plot fresh. Additionally, the tension in the story becomes palpable in several places as Vincent loses an invention to a jealous competitor and engages in minor arguments within his new blended family. And Kehoe masterfully interweaves a deep scientific history in the story as Vincent gets his hands on prototypes of his hero, inventor Nicholas Tesla, which helps spark an idea for a creation of Vincent's very own.

THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW is enjoyable on another level. Because of the format and construction of the book, it's pleasant to hold, and the drawings are colorful and captivating. The inside back cover contains a clever rendition of Vincent's own "invention notebook." Illustrator Mike Wohnoutak and Olive and Company did a fine job on the notebook, making it great fun to flip through and helpful in aiding the reader to envision Vincent's ideas. Many of the possible toys are quite clever: the "Fib Finder Penz" can tell when someone is writing a lie, and "Mood Paintz" change colors with the artist's mood.

Midway through the story, the Shadow family moves to Minnesota, and Vincent attends a new school where the focus is mostly art. Here, he encounters a wacky teacher in his art ideas class. Actually, Mr. Dennis has the best job in the book; he explains the soul of possibilities to his class:

"There are lots of right answers. And if you fall in love with the one you have, you will close your eyes to all the other possible answers. These sculptures were absolutely wonderful. Perfect. Brilliant. All of them. Now, we will do the same assignment again and I want each and every one of you to come back tomorrow with another right answer."

THE UNUSUAL MIND OF VINCENT SHADOW is a fun story about the never-ending possibilities anyone can discover if they open their mind to it.

--- Reviewed by Joy Held

This is a must buy for young 4th or 5th graders and even a 6th grader. I gave it to a 5th grade relative who did not put it down for four hours. He is a nonreader but this book really caught his attention. I decided to read it and found it delightful. The author, a toy inventor, has written a wonderful, engaging, fun, book for young people especially great for boys. His humor and clever style of writing as he takes his young toy inventor on his adventures will delight your child. I talked to a teacher friend about it and she was using it in her classroom to encourage creative thinking in her students. The book's clever cover where you can see into Vincent's attic and the notebook of inventions in the back cover all add to the books enjoyment. My 5th grader has now started his own notebook of ideas. I would highly recommend this book.

I purchased this book for my 8 year old son. It is a great read packed full of ideas for young minds. He is very anxious for the second book to be released in 2012. If you click on the author link on the product page, there is a short video of Vincent Shadow. I am going to purchase more copies for birthday gifts for his friends.

What a fun book to read. The characters are all likeable and the story is fun. The book itself is really cool with the pull out toy inventions. For the price, it is well worth all the fun.