sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
Brian is forced to spend his summer with his boring aunt, uncle and cousin, who are all way too obsessed with schooling. One day, Brian and his cousin, Nora, adventure through the woods behind her house and uncover a wacky house and its wacky family. The two are brought into many new adventures within the house and they work to save the Matchstick castle.
This was a funny story told in the classic fantasy stylings, with adventures contained in one not-so-average house.
This was a funny story told in the classic fantasy stylings, with adventures contained in one not-so-average house.
muddypuddle's review against another edition
This book reminded me somewhat of the books I read and loved as a kid - Gone Away Lake and The Lemonade Trick, The Four Story Mistake and Half Magic. I can't remember anything at all about those books except that I loved them. This gave me the same feel. Except....now I'm old. And I didn't like it at all, it was just too far-fetched and ridiculous. So I'm betting there's lots and lots of youngish kids out there that are going to love it like I loved those old titles of long ago. So I can't rate it, really. Or I shouldn't. I'd rate it a 2, but that's an old fogey's rating. I'll leave this to the experts ... and the kids.
jassie_77's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Wat een heerlijk kinderboek. Het plot is erg grappig en de verhaallijn origineel. Ik vond dat het einde een beetje snel ging, maar ik denk dat kinderen daar niet zo'n last van hebben. Zeker een boek dat ik zou voorlezen in de klas.
What a lovely childrens' book. The plot is very funny and the story original. I thought the ending went a bit quick, but I don't think kids will mind that. Definitely a book I would read out loud with my class.
What a lovely childrens' book. The plot is very funny and the story original. I thought the ending went a bit quick, but I don't think kids will mind that. Definitely a book I would read out loud with my class.
funnygrl77's review against another edition
4.0
I almost have no words for how much I enjoyed this book! This was recommended as a read a like for Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library and Ms. Rapscott's Girls - so this book immediately went on my list.
Perfect for readers looking for adventure, friendship and unbelievably creative unique characters in Boring, Illinois. I instantly fell in love with Cosmo Van Dash and his cast of uncles and father.
Great undercover moral thread : How do you do what is right when you aren't sure how?
Perfect for readers looking for adventure, friendship and unbelievably creative unique characters in Boring, Illinois. I instantly fell in love with Cosmo Van Dash and his cast of uncles and father.
Great undercover moral thread : How do you do what is right when you aren't sure how?
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Wacky and fun, with a slightly old-fashioned feel to the adventure.
taro_mt_50's review against another edition
3.0
Cute, good for children, but the voice/tone was kind of anyoing. I know I'm not a kid, and I'm reading this at the wrong age, but I can't imagine kid me relating to the narrator's tone.
scostner's review against another edition
4.0
What's the worst fate that can befall you as you get ready to enter middle school? Find out that you will be spending the summer with your uncle and his family in the town of Boring, Illinois. And it lives up the name. Poor Brian is sent to stay with his Uncle Gary, Aunt Jenny, and his cousin Nora while his father is off to Antarctica. It's bad enough that he will be away from home, his brothers, his friends, and the soccer tournament he was training for, but Uncle Gary designs educational software and makes Nora and Brian act as his test subjects. School every day of the summer!
Just when things seem really bleak, Brian and Nora accidentally discover the Matchstick Castle and the van Dash family who live in it. Suddenly they have more adventure than they could ever expect. The house sits on old mining tunnels and caves. The house itself is filled with hidden doorways and strange hallways. There is a ship on the roof (in case of flood), a submarine in the tunnels, and a larger than life family who are all famous explorers, adventurers, writers, etc. When a local city planner has the house condemned and schedules it for demolition, it is time to fight back and defend the castle.
This story is fun in many different ways. There are the wacky characters of the van Dash family who are always digging for lost gold, working on a new novel, trying to domesticate wild boars, and other unusual activities. Brian's despair over being stuck at a computer screen studying all summer is humorous, since we are not the ones trapped in that room listening to the animated Dara and Darrell and their annoying computer-generated voices. And the house itself, the Matchstick Castle, is so full of carrier pigeons, doors that lead nowhere, fire poles, and hammocks that it seems to have been designed by the architects of the The 13-Storey Treehouse.
Great for fans of the Treehouse books (by Andy Griffiths) and similar tales. Highly recommended for middle grade readers who enjoy humorous stories.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
Just when things seem really bleak, Brian and Nora accidentally discover the Matchstick Castle and the van Dash family who live in it. Suddenly they have more adventure than they could ever expect. The house sits on old mining tunnels and caves. The house itself is filled with hidden doorways and strange hallways. There is a ship on the roof (in case of flood), a submarine in the tunnels, and a larger than life family who are all famous explorers, adventurers, writers, etc. When a local city planner has the house condemned and schedules it for demolition, it is time to fight back and defend the castle.
This story is fun in many different ways. There are the wacky characters of the van Dash family who are always digging for lost gold, working on a new novel, trying to domesticate wild boars, and other unusual activities. Brian's despair over being stuck at a computer screen studying all summer is humorous, since we are not the ones trapped in that room listening to the animated Dara and Darrell and their annoying computer-generated voices. And the house itself, the Matchstick Castle, is so full of carrier pigeons, doors that lead nowhere, fire poles, and hammocks that it seems to have been designed by the architects of the The 13-Storey Treehouse.
Great for fans of the Treehouse books (by Andy Griffiths) and similar tales. Highly recommended for middle grade readers who enjoy humorous stories.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
mrsjhasbooks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5
This was an incredible read aloud pick from the Illinois Reading Council Illinois Reads 2018 selection committee (http://illinoisreads.org/booksselectedfor2018/2018grades35.html). I cannot wait to share this with the Lincoln and Washington teachers. This is a fantastic story of what can happen when you allow yourself to experience adventure. Students of any gender will appreciate and identify with either Brian, Nora, or Cosmo, and they will be eager to see whether or not these three can truly save the Matchstick Castle.
This was an incredible read aloud pick from the Illinois Reading Council Illinois Reads 2018 selection committee (http://illinoisreads.org/booksselectedfor2018/2018grades35.html). I cannot wait to share this with the Lincoln and Washington teachers. This is a fantastic story of what can happen when you allow yourself to experience adventure. Students of any gender will appreciate and identify with either Brian, Nora, or Cosmo, and they will be eager to see whether or not these three can truly save the Matchstick Castle.