Story Time

by Edward Bloor

Book Overview

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 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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0152052224
• ISBN13: 9780152052225
• Release Date: August 2005
• Publisher: Clarion Books
• Length: 444 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.0" x 7.4"
• Age Range: 10 to 14 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 9

Customer Reviews

Satirically dark

This book was awesome i read all 420+ pages in 3 days. Its basically about standardized test, ghosts in books, demon possesion and musicals. age 13+

Sparkling Satire for Young Adults

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.

A Feast for all Ages

I am a slow reader, and so it took me three lengthy sessions to finish this woderfully weird and weirdly wonderful tale. And each time I stopped, I could hardly wait to hasten back to it. If this sounds hyperbolic, so be it. For, it isn't often one comes across a book that works at once as invective, satire and just plain old horror story.Two enormously bright kids, Kate and George are lured into the Whittaker Magnet School run by a group of insanely ambitious avant-garde educators who might be refugees from a Stephen King opus. They worship "tests" administered to a hapless bunch of students with savage punishments, mind-altering brews, and threats reinforced by a few murders.The educators are the more scary because a goodly number of their traits bear a more than passing resemblance to some real-life technology-obsessed "mentors" bent on sabotaging whatever is left of intelligent teaching..How the brave young pair survives and ultimately defeats the evil machinations of Whittaker Magnet (including the sinister effluvium of a demon, no less) is told in fast, deadpan style that merits unflagging attention.Edward Bloor (Tangerine, Crusader) has offered another winner. Story Time gives food for fun, food for thought, food for shivers. Quite a banquet.

Another Gem

The talented author of Tangerine and Crusader, has given us another outstanding novel - Story Time. I found the whole subject matter fantastic, and the way it is presented is nothing short of masterful. The story is unusual, scary, and sprinkled with tongue-in-cheek humor. The compelling need to follow the adventures of Kate and George, makes this a spell-binding, page-turner. I can only imagine how this book will simply be "gobbled up" by readers of all ages.

Bloor Does It Again!

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.