Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Starscape (New York, 2016). 1st Starscape edition, 1st printing. 320 pages. $16.99.
Description
On his thirteenth birthday, foster child Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag of sand which is immediately stolen by the evil Librarians who are trying to take over the world, and Alcatraz is introduced to his grandfather and his own special talent, and told that he must use it to save civilization.
Media reviews
Horn Book Magazine
For all its self-aware preciosity, this still stands as a happily action-packed romp, with just the right amount of repartee between Alcatraz and his cantankerous teenage protector Bastille, and a cliffhanger ending that promises more of the same. Plus dinosaurs in tweed vests. Who could ask for
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more? Show Less
Publishers Weekly
Like Lemony Snicket and superhero comics rolled into one (and then revved up on steroids), this nutty novel isn't for everyone, but it's also sure to win passionate fans.
School Library Journal
Though there's intentionally more humor than drama, Alcatraz becomes a more complex figure by the time his adventure is through as he discovers the value of friendship, courage, and family. Readers who prefer fantasy with plenty of humor should enjoy entering Alcatraz's strange but amusing world.
Kirkus
Alcatraz often interrupts his story with comments about reading, sometimes predicting accurately that we won't believe the events on the page. He doubts that librarians will recommend this book. He may be right.
User reviews
LibraryThing member PhoenixTerran
I have heard many, many good things about Brandon Sanderson's books, though I haven't gotten around to reading any of them until now. But with a title like Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians how could I resit? Alcatraz is a different fare from Sanderson's usual work. Instead of epic fantasy
Alcatraz Smedry has been shuffled from one foster home to the next in fairly rapid succession. It's not that he's exactly a bad kid (of course, he'd be the first to tell you that he's not a particularly good person, either), it's just that he has a habit of breaking things. On his thirteenth birthday, shortly after burning down the kitchen of his current foster parents, he receives a package in the mail. Supposedly it is his entire inheritance from his parents--a bag of sand. When the bag is stolen from him, he finds himself thrust into a reconnaissance mission along with a man who claims to be his grandfather. The target? The downtown public library, local headquarter of the evil and power hungry librarians. With their own devious plans for the sand, they are determined to continue to extend their world dominance. Alcatraz is about to learn that everything he thought he knew is wrong.
The story is told as an autobiography, although Alcatraz has a tendency to ramble on about other things. Specific subjects included authors, writing, readers, and the Great Kitten Conspiracy. He doesn't hesitate to make fun of himself, his readers, or even the book while addressing the reader directly. A few different and rather unique magic systems are introduced, my favorite being the Smedry Family Talents. What at first seem like inconveniences (breaking things, always arriving late, etc.) can be remarkably useful and powerful skills. It was great fun to see how these "talents" developed into solutions.
I absolutely loved this book. It's incredibly snarky and sarcastic, so if that's not a type of humor you appreciate you might give it a pass. I on the other hand thought it was hilarious. I had a huge grin plastered on my face while I read it, often only half successful in stifling my laughter and delight. (I got a lot of strange looks from other people while reading Alcatraz.) I didn't know it when I picked it up, but Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians is actually the first in a series with five books planned. Even if you don't go on to read the rest of the series, I highly, highly recommend this first installment.
(I am an evil librarian. No, really, I am. Sanderson's got us right on. Remember that next time you go to a library. Be nice to us or else you'll probably regret it--we control your universe after all.)
Experiments in Reading
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written for adults he has written a short and extremely humorous book suitable for most ages.Alcatraz Smedry has been shuffled from one foster home to the next in fairly rapid succession. It's not that he's exactly a bad kid (of course, he'd be the first to tell you that he's not a particularly good person, either), it's just that he has a habit of breaking things. On his thirteenth birthday, shortly after burning down the kitchen of his current foster parents, he receives a package in the mail. Supposedly it is his entire inheritance from his parents--a bag of sand. When the bag is stolen from him, he finds himself thrust into a reconnaissance mission along with a man who claims to be his grandfather. The target? The downtown public library, local headquarter of the evil and power hungry librarians. With their own devious plans for the sand, they are determined to continue to extend their world dominance. Alcatraz is about to learn that everything he thought he knew is wrong.
The story is told as an autobiography, although Alcatraz has a tendency to ramble on about other things. Specific subjects included authors, writing, readers, and the Great Kitten Conspiracy. He doesn't hesitate to make fun of himself, his readers, or even the book while addressing the reader directly. A few different and rather unique magic systems are introduced, my favorite being the Smedry Family Talents. What at first seem like inconveniences (breaking things, always arriving late, etc.) can be remarkably useful and powerful skills. It was great fun to see how these "talents" developed into solutions.
I absolutely loved this book. It's incredibly snarky and sarcastic, so if that's not a type of humor you appreciate you might give it a pass. I on the other hand thought it was hilarious. I had a huge grin plastered on my face while I read it, often only half successful in stifling my laughter and delight. (I got a lot of strange looks from other people while reading Alcatraz.) I didn't know it when I picked it up, but Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians is actually the first in a series with five books planned. Even if you don't go on to read the rest of the series, I highly, highly recommend this first installment.
(I am an evil librarian. No, really, I am. Sanderson's got us right on. Remember that next time you go to a library. Be nice to us or else you'll probably regret it--we control your universe after all.)
Experiments in Reading
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LibraryThing member YouthGPL
Kearsten says: Alcatraz has no idea he's a heir to a mysterious and special...bag of sand. On his 13th birthday, everything he thought he knew has changed, and it's up to him to defeat the evil Librarians (who've been lying about the truth for many years) and save the world from evil
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Librarian-domination. Fun and a bit silly, this one's completely engaging! But don't tell anyone I said so - they might think I'm a double agent, spying on the evil Librarians from the *inside*... Show Less
LibraryThing member Katya0133
"Playful" is a word that comes to mind when describing this book. The narrator plays with literary conventions in a very postmodern fashion (apologizing for a cliffhanger chapter ending, informing you that he's about to editorialize) and the whole concept is very playful (a bunch of people with
I didn't enjoy being referred to as "evil" every few pages (I'm a librarian), but I otherwise highly recommend this book.
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superpowers such as breaking things, tripping, and being late).I didn't enjoy being referred to as "evil" every few pages (I'm a librarian), but I otherwise highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member prkcs
Alcatraz always manages to break things, usually things that his foster parents love which usually gets him returned to the agency. Now, for his birthday, he has received a box of sand supposedly from his parents. It is his inheritance. He is aggravated by this insult and sets fire to the foster
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family's kitchen. When the sand is stolen, a man appears claiming to be his grandfather and wanting to help him reclaim his inheritance. This man has strange powers and claims that Alcatraz's power to break things is a great gift which Alcatraz must learn to control. They are off on a wild adventure fighting the evil librarians who have been deceiving the world for many years and promoting all kinds of wrong information. This book takes reality and turns it upside down but it is fun. Show Less
LibraryThing member cybrarianne
Brian Sanderson has written an entertaining and action-packed fantasy, with nods to Douglas Adams and a few very thinly veiled references to J.K. Rowling. Alcatraz (our hero) has lived with numerous foster families, each experience ending in some disaster. For Alcatraz breaks things...really, he
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breaks everything he touches. Even the nicest of families can't abide their kitchen going up in flames. But as Alcatraz soon discovers, his worst fault is also his greatest talent in the world of his birth. He's not of our world, the one that is controlled by evil librarians(now known as the Hushlands). He belongs to the Free Kingdoms, a place where dinosaurs are polite British gentlemen, and elevators are obsolete while stairs are much more advanced. Sound crazy? It is, and lots of fun, too. Follow Alcatraz and his new quirky familiy as they try to save the world from "misinformation!" Show Less
LibraryThing member nymith
When foster-kid Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag of sand (supposedly his inheritance) in the mail for his thirteenth birthday he gets started on a crazy, madcap adventure involving an attempt to infiltrate the downtown library.
That doesn't tell you much, but for me a lot of the joy in this book lay
It wasn't just comedy though. Sometimes, especially as the situation got worse toward the climax, it verged on drama. Quite effectively. And character development was astonishingly good for a madcap, off-the-wall comedy adventure. The system of magic made sense and was very unique (though I can't say quite the same for the world-building) and the plot was rip-roaring and built up to a frantic pace.
For all that, there were some complaints. One: that none of the characters were likable from the get-go. It took most of the book for me to warm up to Alcatraz and Bastille especially. Two: the whole book comes across as a writing excercise, so it's not the smoothest read. It feels like it was written on the whim of the author, which is fine and true. But it does mean I found a few flaws, mostly early on, that could have been ironed out with some long-term consideration.
But those are minor complaints. My biggest compliment for the book is the narration by Alcatraz. It's one of the finest examples of an unreliable narrator I've ever seen. Alcatraz makes snarky asides, talks directly to you, rants at length about unimportant, unrelated topics, goes out of his way to torment and mislead you and sometimes flat-out lies. You've got to take everything he says with a grain of salt, and that for me, is the long term appeal of the book. I loved trying to sort out the opinionated narrative and find the facts, lies, foreshadowing and hinted-at future events in the muddle of Alcatraz's voice.
I'm very eager to get my hands on the sequel, as this was a fun and easy read, and by the end I was endeared enough to the characters to want to find out what happens next. And I love the writing style. It wasn't perfect but not every book has to be. I'd recommend it to anyone who seeks a light diversion. I'd certainly give it four and a half if I could.
That doesn't tell you much, but for me a lot of the joy in this book lay
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in discovering the plot details myself. Suffice to say, this was one of the most ludicrously funny stories I've read in a long while. The humor ranged back and forth from all-out absurdities to witty observations made by Alcatraz himself. I tore through the book, always certain of a few good laughs in every chapter.It wasn't just comedy though. Sometimes, especially as the situation got worse toward the climax, it verged on drama. Quite effectively. And character development was astonishingly good for a madcap, off-the-wall comedy adventure. The system of magic made sense and was very unique (though I can't say quite the same for the world-building) and the plot was rip-roaring and built up to a frantic pace.
For all that, there were some complaints. One: that none of the characters were likable from the get-go. It took most of the book for me to warm up to Alcatraz and Bastille especially. Two: the whole book comes across as a writing excercise, so it's not the smoothest read. It feels like it was written on the whim of the author, which is fine and true. But it does mean I found a few flaws, mostly early on, that could have been ironed out with some long-term consideration.
But those are minor complaints. My biggest compliment for the book is the narration by Alcatraz. It's one of the finest examples of an unreliable narrator I've ever seen. Alcatraz makes snarky asides, talks directly to you, rants at length about unimportant, unrelated topics, goes out of his way to torment and mislead you and sometimes flat-out lies. You've got to take everything he says with a grain of salt, and that for me, is the long term appeal of the book. I loved trying to sort out the opinionated narrative and find the facts, lies, foreshadowing and hinted-at future events in the muddle of Alcatraz's voice.
I'm very eager to get my hands on the sequel, as this was a fun and easy read, and by the end I was endeared enough to the characters to want to find out what happens next. And I love the writing style. It wasn't perfect but not every book has to be. I'd recommend it to anyone who seeks a light diversion. I'd certainly give it four and a half if I could.
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LibraryThing member ewyatt
Alcatraz has bounced from foster home to foster home. On his 13 birthday, he received his inheritance which was a bag of sand. It turns out the world as we know it is run by evil librarians who control the world and hide the truth through power over information. Alcatraz discovers his family and
Alcatraz frames this as an account of his battle with the evil librarians. It was an entertaining and fun read. Although the side commentary by the narrator had a funny, snarky tone, it was sometimes distracting from the action of the story.
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legacy. Alcatraz frames this as an account of his battle with the evil librarians. It was an entertaining and fun read. Although the side commentary by the narrator had a funny, snarky tone, it was sometimes distracting from the action of the story.
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LibraryThing member readafew
EXCELLENT! This was a very funny book. Here and there it pokes fun at Harry Potter, His Dark Materials and probably several other young adult series. Great parody and still originally funny by itself. I hope Brandon gets around to writing a sequel to this one like he promises at the end.
There are a
I think one of the best quotes from the book has got to be "Authors write books for one, and only one, reason:because we like to torture people."
There are a
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few places it starts to get irritating because of the repeating of things and then when you think he's gone to far he makes fun of that very irritant.I think one of the best quotes from the book has got to be "Authors write books for one, and only one, reason:because we like to torture people."
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LibraryThing member Sorghumgrass
This book appeals to the subversive, libertarian in me, but the author's asides got to be annoying after a while.
LibraryThing member leecat
This postmodern children's book just doesn't measure up to M.T. Anderson's Thrilling Tales. It wasn't funny enough, so that the ironic storytelling just got tired. I didn't much care for the snarky interpretation by the reader, who just seemed too cool for the story, robbing it of its bits of
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originality (there weren't many). A good book for younger Harry fans, not ready for the dark side. Show Less
LibraryThing member aarondesk
A great humorous adventure in the vein of Harry Potter. Orphan meets grandpa. Orphan realizes he has certain powers. Orphan fights librarians. Orphan wins.
LibraryThing member lindamamak
Alcatraz an orphan finds out on his 13th birthday that his family have special powers and must save his special present from his parents from the evil librarians.
LibraryThing member norbertandfang5325
Alcatraz is not a nice kid. Would a nice kid burn down his foster family's kichen? No, Alcatraz is not a nice kid. It may be because he never had a real family. Well he does but they must have a twisted sense of humer to name him Alcatraz and for his birthday give him a bag of sand. Or it could be
Alcatraz's life was normal until his seemingly twisted parents sent him sand for his birthday. After that he almost gets shot, finds out brecking things is a telent and that all librarians are evil.
What happens atfer that? Well I'm not going to tell you. Maybe I'm not nice like Alcatraz or maybe I just want you to read the book
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because he was just being clumsy, everything he touches brakes. Or he could just not be nice. Alcatraz's life was normal until his seemingly twisted parents sent him sand for his birthday. After that he almost gets shot, finds out brecking things is a telent and that all librarians are evil.
What happens atfer that? Well I'm not going to tell you. Maybe I'm not nice like Alcatraz or maybe I just want you to read the book
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LibraryThing member dcollins7984
Librarians evil? Yes, and boy is it a great source of fun, satire and adventure. Another sequel I can't wait to read!
LibraryThing member Candies64
Being a librarian in training myself, this book has convinced me that I need to start a 'library fiction' section on my bookshelf! Overall the story was well written, humorous and definitely a quick read, even though it was much longer than I was expecting. The author's asides did get in the way of
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the story at times and by the end I wasnt quite as thrilled with the book as I had been at the beginning, but I still liked it enough to wish that there was already a sequel out! Show Less
LibraryThing member greytfriend
A very funny, fast-paced and witty book. A laughed out loud more times than I can count. The premise is very different than anything I've read before. And the conflict, based on Evil Librarians trying to rule the world, is hilarious. Sorry, librarian friends!
LibraryThing member lostinmyownlibrary
Alcatraz Versus The Evil Librarians
The title hooked me. Alcatraz (a place i have always wanted to visit) versus the evil librarians(evil librarians, what else needs to be said)
Alcatraz is not your average 13 year old. In fact, he is a Smedry, and Smedry's have talents. Talents that are used to
Quirky in a good way, written with just enough off the wall humor, and left opened for possible sequels, Sanderson has provided a fun read that has me hoping he writes more than one.
The title hooked me. Alcatraz (a place i have always wanted to visit) versus the evil librarians(evil librarians, what else needs to be said)
Alcatraz is not your average 13 year old. In fact, he is a Smedry, and Smedry's have talents. Talents that are used to
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battle the librarians to free the hushlands and defend the free Kingdoms.Quirky in a good way, written with just enough off the wall humor, and left opened for possible sequels, Sanderson has provided a fun read that has me hoping he writes more than one.
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LibraryThing member jenzbookshelf
Despite Sanderson's attempt at humor and literary allusions, I just don't think he quite pulled it off with this book. I realize that the off the wall, wacky, and even silly feel of this book is part of its appeal for kids. Unfortunately, Sanderson's literary creativity often came off as annoying
Sanderson does have some good ideas for fantasy and my kids did somewhat enjoy listening to this book. But they did not like Alcatraz's negative tone at all. I see a lot of potential in Alcatraz, but I truly think it needs a very good editor. Maybe the next books in the series will be better.
We listened to the book on CD. Charlie Wade, as the narrator, did a great job, except for the fact that his "Alcatraz" voice grated on my nerves and annoyed me.
The best line of the whole book was "I, for instance, have not been able to transform myself into a popsicle despite years of effort." That honestly made us crack up!
If you have time to kill, it's an okay read, but there are so many awesome books out there that I honestly must ask, "Why waste your time?"
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instead of funny.Sanderson does have some good ideas for fantasy and my kids did somewhat enjoy listening to this book. But they did not like Alcatraz's negative tone at all. I see a lot of potential in Alcatraz, but I truly think it needs a very good editor. Maybe the next books in the series will be better.
We listened to the book on CD. Charlie Wade, as the narrator, did a great job, except for the fact that his "Alcatraz" voice grated on my nerves and annoyed me.
The best line of the whole book was "I, for instance, have not been able to transform myself into a popsicle despite years of effort." That honestly made us crack up!
If you have time to kill, it's an okay read, but there are so many awesome books out there that I honestly must ask, "Why waste your time?"
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LibraryThing member TheMightyQuinn
Alcatraz is speeding through foster homes, thanks to his unusual talent for breaking things, but on his thirteenth birthday he receives a mysterious bag of sand from his long lost parents and a strange man claiming to be his grandfather shows up on his doorstep, launching Alcatraz into an
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unexpected adventure. Characters are comic book like and the bridge between worlds is as confusing to the reader as it is to Alcatraz. The plot hook that Alcatraz is not a good person seems unsubstantiated and contrived to appeal to the 'bad' side of readers. The overlying ideas are intriguing. Recommend for 4th-8th, more for boys then girls. Show Less
LibraryThing member westkids
Who would have thought that all the librarians of the world actually control the information to which the rest of us have access? On his thirteenth birthday, Alcatraz Smedry discovers that everything he thought he knew was bogus. With the help of a newly discovered grandfather from a parallel
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reality, Smedry breaks into the central library to recover the truth. Lots of funny action follows with miniature talking dinosaurs and other unexpected discoveries. Recommended by Helen. Show Less
LibraryThing member MerryMary
What a hoot! Brandon gives us a roller-coaster ride into an alternate reality where "talents" are deceptively inconvenient, where Ocularians and Warriors use sight and Lenses to discover the truth about their surroundings, and where evil librarians control the known universe. Oh, wait. That last
In the best fantasy tradition, klutzy perennial foster-kid Alcatraz finds out on his 13th birthday that he is Something Special. He is thrown pell-mell into a totally confusing world where nothing he knew before seems to hold true. The world is his to save, without a clue what he's doing, or how he's doing it. Brandon's writing is sarcastic, heart-felt, self-deprecating, and hilarious. He breaks "the rules of writing" with abandon, and with complete awareness. I laughed out loud, and can't wait for the next installment.
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might not be alternate.In the best fantasy tradition, klutzy perennial foster-kid Alcatraz finds out on his 13th birthday that he is Something Special. He is thrown pell-mell into a totally confusing world where nothing he knew before seems to hold true. The world is his to save, without a clue what he's doing, or how he's doing it. Brandon's writing is sarcastic, heart-felt, self-deprecating, and hilarious. He breaks "the rules of writing" with abandon, and with complete awareness. I laughed out loud, and can't wait for the next installment.
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LibraryThing member fiveforsilver
I tried. I really, really wanted to like this book. I think the characters and the story and the humor have a lot of potential, and I generally think Sanderson is a great writer, but something about this book just rubbed me the wrong way. Perhaps it was the way that Alcatraz kept talking to the
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reader, which I tend to find uncomfortable. I think I would have liked it a lot better if it had just been a straight fantasy book rather than one of those books that insists that it's not actually a fantasy book, it's really actually true! Show Less
LibraryThing member jjpionke
Al, short of Alcatraz, has the awesome or cursed, depending on how you look at it, ability to destroy everything he touches. As a foster child, he has been in many homes. On his 13th birthday, he meets his grandfather and there begins an adventure to rescue the Sands of Rashid from the Evil
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Librarians and of course, learn about his family and heritage. Told in a sometimes jarring first person style, there is a lot of silly and quirky imagery throughout the book. The reading level is geared towards 3-6 grades and may prove challenging for younger children or children who might be struggling with reading. Still, children who like adventure and the idea of other worlds existing within our own will like this book. Recommended. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccahill
A clever adventure story full of fun characters. Perfect for upper-elementary or lower-middle school students, especially boys.
Only a couple things bugged me about this book:
1. When the character narrates, he seems like an adult, but the dialogue sounds more like a teenager.
2. It also got tiresome
Only a couple things bugged me about this book:
1. When the character narrates, he seems like an adult, but the dialogue sounds more like a teenager.
2. It also got tiresome
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when the narrator would explain why he was telling the story as he was - I wanted him to get on with the story! Show Less
LibraryThing member xicanti
When Alcatraz Smedry receives a bag of sand for this thirteenth birthday, he finds himself thrust into a word of evil Librarians and noble Oculators.
This was a lot of fun. The story moves quickly, dragging the reader along as Alcatraz meets his grandfather, learns what his bag of sand is good for,
There's a fair amount of postmodernism here, too. Alcatraz frequently comments on storytelling as he relates his own strange tale. As a result, I think this would be most suitable for young readers who've already got a fairly good grasp of how books work and are familiar with some literary conventions. Newer readers probably wouldn't get as much out of this simply because they won't know what it's parodying. They may, however, find the humour enough to carry them through.
Definitely recommended. And read some of Brandon's adult stuff while you're at it!
This was a lot of fun. The story moves quickly, dragging the reader along as Alcatraz meets his grandfather, learns what his bag of sand is good for,
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and launches an epic rescue mission straight into the heart of the Librarian stronghold. The whole thing is bizarre enough to keep any young reader entertained/confused/exasperated/wanting more. It's certainly not a nice book, (as Alcatraz frequently reminds us), but it should appeal to fans of Lemony Snicket, Jonathan Stroud and others who've crafted entertaining stories about horrible occurrences and less than admirable characters.There's a fair amount of postmodernism here, too. Alcatraz frequently comments on storytelling as he relates his own strange tale. As a result, I think this would be most suitable for young readers who've already got a fairly good grasp of how books work and are familiar with some literary conventions. Newer readers probably wouldn't get as much out of this simply because they won't know what it's parodying. They may, however, find the humour enough to carry them through.
Definitely recommended. And read some of Brandon's adult stuff while you're at it!
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Subjects
Awards
Nebraska Golden Sower Award (Nominee — 2011)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2010)
Sunshine State Young Reader's Award (Nominee — Grades 6-8 — 2012)
Nēnē Award (Nominee — 2012)
Association for Mormon Letters Award (Honorable Mention — Young Adult — 2007)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-10
Physical description
320 p.; 5.75 inches
ISBN
9780765378941