Book Review: The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB

I have always prided myself on being a "Cool" teacher; I try to dress hip, know the current slang and always know the trends of our current times. And being an English teacher, I always want to know the current trends in the book market. My specialty is high school and the college years as this is where I have spent over fifteen years of my career. So, when I was volunteering this past week at the elementary school library and a young, hip boy approached me and asked, "Mrs. G, what book should I read?" I never assume anything--it has gotten me into trouble--and asked him what he liked. He told me and my wheels were a'turning. AH-HA! This kid would love Percy Jackson and if he liked the first one there was a plethora more where that came from, but alas, this little guy was nine. He could read Percy Jackson as he is a high level reader, but the maturity and some of the themes would be too mature for this young lad....but thanks to Adam Shaughnessy, this nine year old boy has a new series with adventure, Norse Myth, higher level reading with a nosey eleven year protagonist with the release of The Entirely True Story of the Unbelievable FIB. 

Pru, short for Prudence, has an eye for solving a mystery and her new friend, ABE, has a knack for solving riddles. Together these two have to solve the mystery of the Eye of Odin and why Thor is locked in THEIR towns jail. The character development through the story creates a mystery within the mystery. It was a thrilling adventure to try to stay ahead of the plot and predict the ending. I am ready to recommend this book to any 3rd - 7th grader as it is appealing to all of these levels. Told from the perspective of an eleven year old helps this age connect to the main character. She is a sass mouth and defies authority landing her in weeks of detention, but this does not sway her belief system to do what is right.

I learned more about Mythology than I realized. Thanks to Marvel I know about Thor and Loki, but I did not know the extent of their relationship. Because I am just so hip I have watched all of the Marvel movies and I think this also helps the ability to relate to this book and want to keep reading. Having a baseline of knowledge helps reluctant readers and thanks to Hollywood most of us have this knowledge.

I'm thrilled to see Mister Fox, owner of the Norse Detective agency, might make another appearance needing the aid of Pru and ABE. Since Loki is a sly, shape shifter, he may return to seek for the Eye of Odin and the only people who held it last remain in middle school in Middleton. 

You can see the full review at Books and WhatNot