Review #30: Stout Hearts and Whizzing Biscuits by Daniel McInerny



Pub. Date: November 2011

Pages: 115

Publisher: Trojan Tub Entertainment

Synopsis:
When Oliver Stoop, age 11, moves with his family to a remote piece of land in northern Indiana, he soon discovers that someone is already living there—an entire kingdom of someones, in fact. These are the good citizens of Patria, a secret land founded by refugees from the Trojan War who sailed across the Atlantic in a reconfigured Trojan Horse—3,000 years ago!

For Oliver, Patria is a land of wonders—and for the first time in his life, friendship. There's young Prince Farnsworth Vesuvius, inventor of the Magna-Pneumatic Whizzing Biscuit Blaster, and his formidable sister, Princess Rose, whose inedible, stone-hard biscuits provide the blaster's ammunition. But there's also the rest of the eccentric and lovable Patrian Royal Family, the boy warriors in the Potawatomi Indian Camp, not to mention the Viking kids from the Geat Village, newcomers to the area who only arrived 1,000 years ago.

Yet when the noble Knights of the Blue Sock threaten to drive off the Stoops by force of arms, Oliver has to decide where his loyalties lie, and whether he has the courage to undertake the quest that is both Patria's, and his family's, last, best hope of peace.

My Thoughts/Review:

This was such an imaginative amazing book. Daniel McInerny is such an amazing middle grade writer. His style takes on a life of its own. From the very first chapter his writing hooked me into the story. I immediately had to know what was going to happen. The world of Patria was very intriguing and I think kids everywhere would love this book. It would be a great Christmas present for them especially with it only being $2.99. I can not wait to read more books from McInerny.

Patria is a magical peter pan like place that really made me want to be able to visit the land itself.  Patria has a castle with royalty, Indians from a tribe, and even vikings. Every little kid dreams that there is a magical land right beyond the barriers of their own backyard. Oliver actually got to experience that. This is what really made this book so special. Oliver is such an adventurous relatable unique little boy who wasn't afraid to believe and solve the mystery. I wasn't able to solve the mystery in this book like Oliver did and I even really tried my hardest to and I couldn't get it. 

There was one thing that could have been better. There could have been more back story and explanations of the other minor characters to give the story some depth but other than that I loved the story. I totally recommend this book to any kid. They will just devour this awesome read. This book also isn't just for kids. It can be read by any adult and should be enjoyed. It was such a fantastic, imaginative read. I am so glad I got the opportunity to read it.

Overall I give this book...

5 out of 5 Stars
Such an imaginative read, that kids will love. =]

Links to Check it Out:
Goodreads
Barnes and Noble
Amazon


Thanks for Visiting and Happy Reading!!!

-Michael