Hocus Pocus Hotel by Michael Dahl
The Abracadabra Hotel, built by and for magicians, has long been know to locals as the Hocus Pocus Hotel. Charlie Hitchcock has never stepped inside until Tyler Yu tells him to meet him there ...or else. As if the hotel's storied past isn't enough, it turns out that the place is inhabited by magicians, and while Charlie and Ty solve magical mysteries, the bully and the brain form an unlikely friendship.
Ty Yu, one of the biggest bullies in middle school, recruits Charlie Hitchcock and his acute visual memory for a little detective workThere have been some mysterious occurrences at Ty's home, the Hocus Pocus Hotel, a residence for retired magicians. His plans to purchase a dirt bike, a Tezuki Slamhammer 750, Edition 6, in cherry-pop lightning red, must wait when tenant Mr. Madagascar disappears, along with his rent payment. Brack, an employee with some surprises of his own, mentors the students as they connect the clues. Charlie's interests (his skillz at Sherlock Holmes Maximum Z serve him well) allow him to quickly summarize the information and bring tidy resolutions. The children's second case involves the identity of a local ghost. The first in a series, these two mysteries connect to a larger storyline as the hotel's performers prepare for their revival show. At times, exposition causes pacing to drag. It was just that Tyler never showed he had brains while he was in school. At school, Tyler pretty much only showed off his big arms and fists. Digital art depicts Ty as a lanky teenager with slicked-back black hair and almond eyes; Charlie, with glasses and freckles, is significantly shorter. Drawings dissect the duo's major discoveries. With a touch of The Twilight Zone, it's the building and its guests that provide the eeriest entertainment. (Mystery. 9-12) * Kirkus Reviews *
The first couple of pages show how to read a graphic novel showing the direct panels and then showing how the direction text and balloons should be read. Gavin does not like the bus. Not the way it looks or the way it smells but most of all he does not like Max. He is terrified everyday going on the bus because Max always comes and sits in his seat, eats his snack, laughs at him and trips him. But one day Max is not there, nor the next. At first Max can't believe the difference but then he starts to worry what's happened to Max? Does Gavin actually miss Max? A fun story and an interesting look at one possibility for a bully's actions. Loving Simard's illustrations for these books. A great read considering the low reading level, RL 1.4. This is certainly of a much higher interest level, probably up to about 9 years old. The story is not simple or babyish in anyway. A great book for first time graphic readers and reluctant readers. 4/5 http://back-to-books.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-1st-graphic-novels-lost-lunch-bus.html * Back to Books Blog *
Michael Dahl has a talent of creating suspense on every page as the young sleuth, Charlie Hitchcock, investigates the mysterious that are hidden in the Abracadabra Hotel. All of the disappearances have a logical reason in which are explained by cute illustrations throughout the book. Hocus Pocus Hotel is a great way to introduce kids to the world of magicians and how to use common sense when something doesn't look quite right. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and I recommend it others. Rating: 5/5 * Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer blog *
The book is about mysteries and magicians and filled with cool magic tricks and little diagrams that show you just how the tricks work. . . .fun, mysterious and I think boys and girls who love to read will both enjoy this book. I would definitely recommend this book. * Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! blog *
...even though this is an early middle grade effort, both mysteries are very, very well done, and have very clever solutions. . . .could quite well end up engaging your young reader. * NetGalley Review *
A quickly read, nicely designed book, it certainly held my interest. . . .These two stories are a good start, and there is a story arc that suggests at least one - but likely many more stories to come. * Kids Books Central *
This book is a sheer delight to read. I loved every minute of it. The whole premise of the hotel is genius! * Kids Book Korner *
Students in our library love, love, love graphic novels. They draw them in with their bright pictures dynamic stories. Kids who are new to reading also love graphic novels, and the series My First Graphic Novel has some wonderful titles perfectly suited for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders who are learning to read on their own. Clues in the Attic and Bus Ride Bully have been particularly popular in our school library. Both available as paperbacks for your home library. Clues in the Attic by Cari Meister illustrated by Remy Simard My First Graphic Novel series MN: Stone Arch Books, 2010 ages 5 - 8 available on Amazon and at your local library Clues in the Attic and Bus Ride Bully are written by Cari Meister, known for her Tiny series of early readers, about Tiny the dog who is not so tiny after all (Tiny Goes to the Library, Puffin, 2000). In Clues in the Attic , Ben is worried about strange noises he hears coming from the attic. When he investigates, he is sure there are bats in the attic. Finally, his sister helps him discover that it's really just her missing snake. In Bus Ride Bully , Gavin hates riding the bus because Max is always being mean to him. But when Max is hurt and can't come to school, Gavin starts to worry. http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-graphic-novels-great-books-for.html * Great Kids Books Blog *
I love this book. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. . . .Full of fun, adventure, magic. * Buggie 4 Book blog *
This was a fun book for me, as someone who never really read mysteries as a kid - it's something that I've gotten into a lot more now that I'm an adult. But I loved the illustrations and Tyler's inept bullying, that isn't quite mean-spirited enough to be taken seriously. . . .I look forward to future books in the series, just to see what places Charlie and Tyler go next. . . .Overall I'd recommend this mostly for elementary and middle school aged readers and their teachers. * Diamonds & Coal Book Reviews blog *
This a fun read that is also educational.. . .It's a page turning mystery AND a teaching tool because, as the boys solve the mysteries, they show how the tricks were done, often with diagrams. This book should catch the young male reluctant reader as well as any reader who is magic curious. * Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO *
...has a touch of Encyclopedia Brown drama running through it. Things are not always what they seem and Charlie can see through it because of his photographic memory. . . .You can't miss with this book. * Journey of a Bookseller blog/Book Faerie blog *
If you have a young reader (say, 9 or 10) kicking around who loved the Encyclopedia Brown stories, and who also is intrigued by magic (of the stage kind, not the fantasy kind) give that reader Hocus Pocus Hotel. . . .There are secrets galore in the Abracadabra Hotel--and Dahl has lots of fun incorporating magic tricks into his story, complete with explanatory diagrams (great for the geekish child, or curious adult). I liked the premise of a hotel full of elderly magicians lots--much more fun than Encyclopedia Brown's crime- ridden, but boring, town. The reader might guess that there's magic behind the mysteries...but still there's room for plain old logic and deductive reasoning. * Charlotte's Library blog *
This was an adorable read. The story was mysterious and an adventure full of fun characters and magician history. The boys are an interesting pair, the nerd and the bully working together to right the rumors about the hotel with smarts and spirit. . . .This would be a great book for reluctant young readers... * Cover 2 Cover blog *
A retirement hotel for professional magicians provides the setting for two cases involving mysterious disappearances and a young sleuth with acute visual memory. Charlie Hitch Hitchcock is surprisingly invited by school bully Tyler Yu into the old hotel, run by the surly punk's family, to find out where the elderly magician in room 1413 disappeared to and then, later, why shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons have likewise gone missing on another seemingly haunted floor. Getting to the bottom of both mysteries (which turn out to have benign, if contrived, causes) involves sharp observation and deduction as well as plenty of broad hints from the hotel's inscrutable elevator operator. Along the way, Hitch also learns how magicians use swiveling mirrors, legerdemain, and other gear or skills to create their effects. Along with frequent color-cartoon renditions of the characters and the hotel's antique, atmospheric decor, Weber provides detailed diagrams to show how each featured trick works. An inviting package. * Booklist *
This is not the type of magic that can cause controversy, I'm happy to say. This book is all about illusionists and even reveals some of the tricks in the books with diagrams. Even I found myself studying the diagrams closely to figure out how they did what was described. . . .This was a great book for young readers aimed at boys. It is nice to see more books being written for boys in this age group. . . .The first book of the series, I definitely see the potential for this series to pick up quickly and develop into a long series. Worth giving to your kids. * the Obsessive Book Worm blog *
Strange things are happening at the Abracadabra Hotel, an establishment that caters to magicians. A guest has gone missing, along with a host of bizarre, seemingly unrelated objects like shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons. Lights flicker on and off, eerie sounds are heard, and shadows seen. Could the Abracadabra have a ghost? Seventh-grade bully Tyler Yu's parents work at the hotel, and Ty wants to get to the bottom of the mysteries. He secretly insists on the help of Charlie Hitchcock, a smart but small and nerdy classmate with a photographic memory. Together, the boys investigate the hotel from top to bottom, learning magicians' tricks as they move from one clue to the next. Full-color illustrations, many full page, and black-and-white diagrams show how each trick is done. They and Charlie's lists of clues should help young detectives solve the mysteries of the Abracadabra right along with the sleuths. A good start to a new series. * School Library Journal *
The first couple of pages show how to read a graphic novel showing the direct panels and then showing how the direction text and balloons should be read. Gavin does not like the bus. Not the way it looks or the way it smells but most of all he does not like Max. He is terrified everyday going on the bus because Max always comes and sits in his seat, eats his snack, laughs at him and trips him. But one day Max is not there, nor the next. At first Max can't believe the difference but then he starts to worry what's happened to Max? Does Gavin actually miss Max? A fun story and an interesting look at one possibility for a bully's actions. Loving Simard's illustrations for these books. A great read considering the low reading level, RL 1.4. This is certainly of a much higher interest level, probably up to about 9 years old. The story is not simple or babyish in anyway. A great book for first time graphic readers and reluctant readers. 4/5 http://back-to-books.blogspot.com/2010/12/my-1st-graphic-novels-lost-lunch-bus.html * Back to Books Blog *
Michael Dahl has a talent of creating suspense on every page as the young sleuth, Charlie Hitchcock, investigates the mysterious that are hidden in the Abracadabra Hotel. All of the disappearances have a logical reason in which are explained by cute illustrations throughout the book. Hocus Pocus Hotel is a great way to introduce kids to the world of magicians and how to use common sense when something doesn't look quite right. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and I recommend it others. Rating: 5/5 * Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer blog *
The book is about mysteries and magicians and filled with cool magic tricks and little diagrams that show you just how the tricks work. . . .fun, mysterious and I think boys and girls who love to read will both enjoy this book. I would definitely recommend this book. * Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! blog *
...even though this is an early middle grade effort, both mysteries are very, very well done, and have very clever solutions. . . .could quite well end up engaging your young reader. * NetGalley Review *
A quickly read, nicely designed book, it certainly held my interest. . . .These two stories are a good start, and there is a story arc that suggests at least one - but likely many more stories to come. * Kids Books Central *
This book is a sheer delight to read. I loved every minute of it. The whole premise of the hotel is genius! * Kids Book Korner *
Students in our library love, love, love graphic novels. They draw them in with their bright pictures dynamic stories. Kids who are new to reading also love graphic novels, and the series My First Graphic Novel has some wonderful titles perfectly suited for 1st, 2nd and 3rd graders who are learning to read on their own. Clues in the Attic and Bus Ride Bully have been particularly popular in our school library. Both available as paperbacks for your home library. Clues in the Attic by Cari Meister illustrated by Remy Simard My First Graphic Novel series MN: Stone Arch Books, 2010 ages 5 - 8 available on Amazon and at your local library Clues in the Attic and Bus Ride Bully are written by Cari Meister, known for her Tiny series of early readers, about Tiny the dog who is not so tiny after all (Tiny Goes to the Library, Puffin, 2000). In Clues in the Attic , Ben is worried about strange noises he hears coming from the attic. When he investigates, he is sure there are bats in the attic. Finally, his sister helps him discover that it's really just her missing snake. In Bus Ride Bully , Gavin hates riding the bus because Max is always being mean to him. But when Max is hurt and can't come to school, Gavin starts to worry. http://greatkidbooks.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-first-graphic-novels-great-books-for.html * Great Kids Books Blog *
I love this book. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. . . .Full of fun, adventure, magic. * Buggie 4 Book blog *
This was a fun book for me, as someone who never really read mysteries as a kid - it's something that I've gotten into a lot more now that I'm an adult. But I loved the illustrations and Tyler's inept bullying, that isn't quite mean-spirited enough to be taken seriously. . . .I look forward to future books in the series, just to see what places Charlie and Tyler go next. . . .Overall I'd recommend this mostly for elementary and middle school aged readers and their teachers. * Diamonds & Coal Book Reviews blog *
This a fun read that is also educational.. . .It's a page turning mystery AND a teaching tool because, as the boys solve the mysteries, they show how the tricks were done, often with diagrams. This book should catch the young male reluctant reader as well as any reader who is magic curious. * Tattered Cover Book Store, Denver, CO *
...has a touch of Encyclopedia Brown drama running through it. Things are not always what they seem and Charlie can see through it because of his photographic memory. . . .You can't miss with this book. * Journey of a Bookseller blog/Book Faerie blog *
If you have a young reader (say, 9 or 10) kicking around who loved the Encyclopedia Brown stories, and who also is intrigued by magic (of the stage kind, not the fantasy kind) give that reader Hocus Pocus Hotel. . . .There are secrets galore in the Abracadabra Hotel--and Dahl has lots of fun incorporating magic tricks into his story, complete with explanatory diagrams (great for the geekish child, or curious adult). I liked the premise of a hotel full of elderly magicians lots--much more fun than Encyclopedia Brown's crime- ridden, but boring, town. The reader might guess that there's magic behind the mysteries...but still there's room for plain old logic and deductive reasoning. * Charlotte's Library blog *
This was an adorable read. The story was mysterious and an adventure full of fun characters and magician history. The boys are an interesting pair, the nerd and the bully working together to right the rumors about the hotel with smarts and spirit. . . .This would be a great book for reluctant young readers... * Cover 2 Cover blog *
A retirement hotel for professional magicians provides the setting for two cases involving mysterious disappearances and a young sleuth with acute visual memory. Charlie Hitch Hitchcock is surprisingly invited by school bully Tyler Yu into the old hotel, run by the surly punk's family, to find out where the elderly magician in room 1413 disappeared to and then, later, why shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons have likewise gone missing on another seemingly haunted floor. Getting to the bottom of both mysteries (which turn out to have benign, if contrived, causes) involves sharp observation and deduction as well as plenty of broad hints from the hotel's inscrutable elevator operator. Along the way, Hitch also learns how magicians use swiveling mirrors, legerdemain, and other gear or skills to create their effects. Along with frequent color-cartoon renditions of the characters and the hotel's antique, atmospheric decor, Weber provides detailed diagrams to show how each featured trick works. An inviting package. * Booklist *
This is not the type of magic that can cause controversy, I'm happy to say. This book is all about illusionists and even reveals some of the tricks in the books with diagrams. Even I found myself studying the diagrams closely to figure out how they did what was described. . . .This was a great book for young readers aimed at boys. It is nice to see more books being written for boys in this age group. . . .The first book of the series, I definitely see the potential for this series to pick up quickly and develop into a long series. Worth giving to your kids. * the Obsessive Book Worm blog *
Strange things are happening at the Abracadabra Hotel, an establishment that caters to magicians. A guest has gone missing, along with a host of bizarre, seemingly unrelated objects like shower curtains, bowling pins, and serving spoons. Lights flicker on and off, eerie sounds are heard, and shadows seen. Could the Abracadabra have a ghost? Seventh-grade bully Tyler Yu's parents work at the hotel, and Ty wants to get to the bottom of the mysteries. He secretly insists on the help of Charlie Hitchcock, a smart but small and nerdy classmate with a photographic memory. Together, the boys investigate the hotel from top to bottom, learning magicians' tricks as they move from one clue to the next. Full-color illustrations, many full page, and black-and-white diagrams show how each trick is done. They and Charlie's lists of clues should help young detectives solve the mysteries of the Abracadabra right along with the sleuths. A good start to a new series. * School Library Journal *
Michael Dahl is the prolific author of the bestselling Goodnight, Baseball picture book and more than 200 other books for children and young adults. He has won the AEP Distinguished Achievement Award three times for his nonfiction, a Teacher's Choice award from Learning magazine, and a Seal of Excellence from the Creative Child Awards. Dahl currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781406266405 |
| ISBN 10 | 140626640X |
| Title | Hocus Pocus Hotel |
| Author | Michael Dahl |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Capstone Global Library Ltd |
| Year published | 2013-08-15 |
| Number of pages | 216 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |