Skip to main content

Tween Tuesday: The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley

Tween Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted here at GreenBeanTeenQueen to highlight great reads for tweens! Join the fun and add your Tween Tuesday link below.

Rating: 3/5 Stars

Genre: Mystery

Release Date: 1/1/2008


Add to Goodreads

About the Book: When Franny's younger sister Zoe meets politician Martha Evergood, Ms. Evergood suggests that Zoe would be a perfect candidate for a private boarding school she is on the board of, Allbright Academy. Allbright was founded by two Nobel Prize winning scientists and the program is for the best and the brightest and tailored to their skills and learning style to give them the best education. Zoe's condition of acceptance is that her siblings have to join her. So all three Sharp siblings are accepted to Allbright. But while at Allbright, Franny and Zoe start to change. Their younger brother notice it as well as Franny's best friend back home. But is being perfect such a bad thing? Or is there something more going on at Allbright Academy?

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Although not a really a dystopian novel, The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy, could be a good introduction for tweens. There are defiantly some eerie things going on at Allbright and this is a book about tweens against evil adults.

The book itself is a fast read and the mystery is interesting enough to hold young readers. As an adult reader, I wish the mystery had been a bit more fleshed out and not so easily solved (it felt a bit Nancy Drew-ish and too easy). I also thought some of the pop culture references were a bit odd and I wasn't sure if many tweens will get them. But I think if they don't they'll just overlook them and enjoy the mystery and rebelling against bad adults storyline.

This one is good for young tween mystery readers (the main character is in eighth grade, but I think the appeal is actually younger). I'm sure many tweens will look at this book and wonder if something similar could be going on at their own school!

Book Pairings: Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene, Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Drannen, and Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Full Disclosure: Reviewed from library copy

Comments

  1. How interesting. I haven't heard of this. You're right...it does sound rather young-ish. Do you think it has appeal to older readers as well or would they tire of the voice? Lately, some of the tween books I've read feel like I'm being talked down to. That's not exactly the right phrase...but I feel like it's written for little kids. I like reading MG books that have a more universal voice - appeals to adults and kids.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This one looks like it would be a good addition to my library because I always have girls looking for mysteries. I might have to give it a try! Thanks for the review.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love mysteries and have always been a bit obsessed with boarding schools. This looks great, even if it reads on the young side!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sounds like a good book. I love mysteries!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice review...I have a lot of 6th graders in my middle school who still really like the "youngish" stuff they could find in the elementary library so this might be right up their alley! My Tween Tuesday is here...http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2010/09/tween-tuesdays-14-shelter-from-wind-by.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Alison-
    I did think the voice seemed more like an adult trying to talk like a kid. The character is in 8th grade, but I really think the book skews younger than that-I don't really see many middle schoolers picking it up-I would say around 3-5th grade with some 6th grade appeal. It's a good mystery, just not anything to really think about and solved pretty quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This looks interesting, but more like the sort of book I'd borrow from the library instead of actually buying. But I'm not a big mystery person I guess.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

I love hearing from other readers! Share your thoughts and chime in!

Popular posts from this blog

Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Rating: 5/5 Stars Genre: Realistic Fiction Release Date: 2/26/2013 Add to Goodreads About the Book: Eleanor and Park are both misfits. When new girl Eleanor sits next to Park on the bus, they don't want anything to do with each other. But over the course of the school year, things change. It starts with comic books and becomes a friendship and a romance that the two will never forget. You never forget your first love. GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: Have you ever had a book sit on your shelf that you've heard so much hype about? And you think that books sounds like it would be right up your alley, but you're in a reading slump and you're afraid to give it a try unless it fails? I knew Eleanor and Park sounded like my perfect book, but I was in such an after committee slump that I even though I knew this book would help, I just didn't want to be disappointed. I should have known better because Eleanor and Park was perfect and everything that I had hoped it wou

Contact Me

  I love to hear from fellow readers and librarians! Send me an email to say hello! You can reach me at greenbeanteenqueen (at) gmail (dot) com

Post Downton Abbey Reading List

Downton Abbey is over (with a shocking and frustrating ending!) and now I'm suffering Downton Abbey withdrawal. I've got a reading list full of books that I hope will satisfy my post-Downton Abbey cravings and I thought I'd share what's in my pile and get suggestions for other after Downton reads. Here's what I hope to be reading this year (a mix of YA and adult titles):                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  A couple Julian Fellowes reads:                And a few re-reads:                    Edited to add: What's on your Post-Downton Abbey reading list?