Learning Strategies

Mad Mouse is the third book by Chris Grabenstein that I’ve reviewed in this blog. I was enthusiastic about Tilt-A-Whirl, but far less so about Hell for the Holidays. So now I’ve finished reading Mad Mouse, another book in the Tilt-A-Whirl series (and I’m about to start Slay Ride, the prequel to Hell for the Holidays). With four data points rather than two, I should have more basis for a consistent judgment — if a consistent judgment is to be had.

I am pleased to report that I loved Mad Mouse, primarily because it was so much fun to read. As I was reading, I kept saying to myself, “Grabenstein obviously enjoyed writing this!” And I, likewise, enjoyed reading it. The characters are funny, but never annoyingly so; the setting on the Jersey Shore is convincing; and the plot moves quickly in an engaging way, being complex enough to be interesting but simple enough to be followed without excessive effort.

OK, so it’s not serious literature. But it’s exciting and amusing, a great way to take one’s mind off the stresses of dealing with teaching mathematics to teens (rich and otherwise) all day.

So now Grabenstein is 2–1 in my book. Let’s see what happens after I read Slay Ride. If I like it, we’ll declare him 3–1 and a general winner; if I don’t, we’ll have two series with two very different evaluations. So stay tuned...

Labels: books