Escape to California

Reviewed by: Barbara Merritt - Scarborough School Department, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: February 3, 2015

Review

In the fiftieth year since the publication of the first Flat Stanley,and in his twelfth worldwide adventure, he is off with his family to explore San Francisco. He saves a girl in a wheelchair from careening down one of San Francisco's famous hills, only to find she is looking for him to help her perform a trick that has never been done. She wants him to help her escape from Alcatraz prison. Using his flatness to great advantage, they are off on a preposterous adventure. A lot of children enjoy reading Flat Stanley books. They are really chapter book length, but not too long, so a lot of more reluctant readers will pick them up. The publisher's information touts them as meeting several Common Core Standards. I would not go that far, but would promote this to the Flat Stanley crowd in my school.

Overall Book Score: good