The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes
Written by Wade Albert White
Illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum
Little, Brown and Company  9/13/2016
978-0-316-30528-0
374 pages  Ages 8—12

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“Is there such a thing as too much adventure?

“Anne is about to find out. She’s spent most of her thirteen years scrubbing dirty hallways and laboring in dark mines at Saint Lupin’s orphanage, dreaming of finding her true home and of becoming an adventurer alongside her best friend, Penelope. Her dreams finally seem within reach . . . until Anne is denied her rightful ticket out of Saint Lupin’s.

“Determined to leave the (possibly evil) Matron and a life of chores behind, Anne’s daring escape plan takes a surprising turn when a mysterious dragon medallion fuses to her hand. Now tasked with a Rightful Heir™ quest, Anne, Penelope, and their new questing partner Hiro have just days to solve unsolvable riddles and triumph over undefeatable foes—or face the horrible consequences.

“Turn the page to discover an epic, action-packed adventure where worlds collide, danger lurks at every turn, and dragons aren’t nearly as innocent as they look (which is to say, not innocent at all).” [INSIDE JACKET]

Review
Anne, an extremely clever girl, has finally reached the age at which St. Lupin’s Institute for Perpetually Wicked and Hideously Unattractive Children—where Anne has spent most of her life—boots her out. Each newly freed orphan receives a flying ship ticket and, at the prescribed time, sets off to wherever they end up . . . except for Anne. Her name goes unspoken. The Matron has found a way to keep Anne, but Anne and her best friend Penelope have different plans. They find a way off the tier Saint Lupin occupies, though not how they planned. Turned down at every wizard academy they’d heard of, the two girls find themselves one dragon ball-of-flame transport away from enrollment at Death Mountain Quest Academy.
The Matron had a gauntlet in her office until it attaches itself to Anne’s arm. A beautiful light blue medallion then attaches itself to the gauntlet. The Matron wants them back. These, and an academy administrator on her last legs, become Anne’s ticket to an adventure. Her team of Penelope and Hiro find themselves in odd situations, facing strange creatures, solving strange riddles, and facing a cruel, meddlesome Wizard Council. The world in which Anne lives is creative and quirky. There are elements of “Old World” (where computers, robots, and other machinery are from) and the current world of tiers (islands floating around a ball of magical energy). Transportation consists of a flying ship (like the one taking away thirteen-year-olds from Saint Lupin), dragon fireballs (two types: fast and really fast, but expensive), and the forbidden portals. The world building is simply remarkable.
The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes will entertain kids who like action and adventure with some silliness thrown into the mix. Little side notes on the opposite page of new chapters offer readers some insight into the story or the crazy, effective worlds the kids find themselves in. Anne’s library book changes titles and content to help Anne along the way, much to her surprise. There seems to be many little secrets at the Saint Lupin “orphanage.”

Written in a unique voice, this debut is one of the funniest this year. The quirky characters will engage kids, including the Death Mountain Quest Academy headmistress, who prefers a warm bed to curl up into and tends to ignore her students and Jeffery and the little sparrow living inside Anne’s blue medallion. Anne and Penelope are terrific female protagonists that boys will also like. The multicultural cast is a wonderful step forward in this middle grade fantasy. At each chapter headings, black and white illustrations depict forthcoming action or characters, giving readers one more view of this strange world of tiered planets floating in the sky.
If you are looking for a fun, exciting, fast-paced fantasy The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes fills the bill. Kids will be amused and tickled. Readers will anxiously await the next edition in the series. Wade Albert White has written an uplifting, inane world, with interesting characters, absurd situations with hysterical outcomes. Kids and adults who love middle grade novels will eat up The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes. What are you waiting for?

THE ADVENTURER’S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES. Text copyright © 2016 by Wade Albert White. Illustrations copyright © 2016 by Mariano Epelbaum. Reproduced by permission of the publisher, Little, Brown and Company, New York, NY.

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Add The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes to Your Goodreads Shelf HERE.

Next:  Book 2, (working title): The Adventurer’s Guide to Dragons (And Why They Keep Biting Me) Available tentatively in September 2017.

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Reprinted with permission from THE ADVENTURER’S GUIDE TO SUCCESSFUL ESCAPES © 2016 by Wade Albert White, Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group. Illustrations © 2016 by Mariano Epelbaum.

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Copyright © 2016 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved

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The Adventurer’s Guide to Successful Escapes
Written by Wade Albert White
Illustrated by Mariano Epelbaum
Little, Brown and Company 9/13/2016
9780316305280